I Was Broken
by RottenLemonz
Summary: Rookie journalist for Rolling Stone Magazine- snarky Isabella Swan is sent on assignment to interview Hollywood's most sought-after guitarist and rumored man-whore, Edward Masen. Sparks will fly... Enjoy the show! Rated M for Lang./Lemons
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. All songs and song lyrics belong to their respective owners, not to me. I own nothing except the story.

**A/N: ****This story started out as a one-shot, but uou guys liked it so much that I just had to continue it.**

******* UPDATE 4/17/11 ***** Due to the fact that I don't want to get this story pulled, I've changed the names of the celebrities mentioned in this story, since I poke fun at them and all. Hopefully you can still figure out who I'm talking about when you read about them. Otherwise, I don't know if someone would complain...**

**Alright…well, sit back, relax and enjoy the show…**

**Link to the Banner and story pics: https:/ queenbeee78 . blogspot . com (remove the spaces)**

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**Chapter song: **

"The Ghost Inside" – Broken Bells

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**I Was Broken**

**Chapter 1 - Evil Pixies and Bloody freakin' Mary**

The beat of the song _The Ghost Inside_ by _Broken Bells _blared in my ears as I closed my eyes and bobbed my head to the music, only to be rudely disturbed by having the buds ripped out of my ears. I opened my eyes to find Alice bouncing from one foot to the other, and clutching some papers to her chest.

"You scared the shit out of me, you know," I snapped at her.

"I know Bells and I'm sorry, but I have an assignment for you. A _big_ one."

My God, she looked like she was about to piss her pants, she was so excited.

"Okay…who is it? Wait, lemme guess…_The Shins_? _Gorillaz_? Ooooh…._The Strokes?"_

She squealed in delight as she turned a stack of large papers in her hands - revealing a large black and white photo to me.

"WHAT? HIM? Huh-hoooo no. No fucking way, Ali. I'm not taking _that_ assignment, so you can just forget it!" I glared at her as she stood over my desk. I had just finished writing my piece on the band _Muse_ before she came skipping her happy little pixie ass into my tiny office.

Pffft. _Edward Masen_. Was she _trying_ to kill me?

"But, Bella…" she whined. "I thought you liked the guy."

"I like his _music_, yeah, but I'm NOT going to be the one to interview him." Crossing my arms over my chest, I rolled my chair back from the desk and pursed my lips like a petulant child.

She raised an eyebrow. "Why? Are you afraid you'll have a repeat of the _Josh Myer_ fiasco?"

Bitch. She would have to bring _that_ up. Why did I ever even tell her about that?

Josh Myer was my first real assignment, and I had no idea what I was getting myself into at the time. "Wet behind the ears" I guess you could say. He was a famous guitarist, and sexy as all hell. I had no idea the guy was going to give me only half an interview (A bull-shit interview at that) while feeding me endless cocktails until I wound up on the black leather couch of his hotel room, shirt up to my neck and dangerously close to losing my panties.

Thank God, I came to my fucking senses and pushed him off of me, only to stumble out of his hotel room and bump right into a certain well-known, blonde actress he had been reported to be dating and _soooo_ in love with.

What a fucking pig.

The whole time I was interviewing him, he kept trying to tell me how he was just a misunderstood guy, and he didn't understand why Hollywood tabloids had pegged him as a womanizer…blah, blah, fucking blah… I should've seen it from the start, but I was too busy staring at his gorgeous face and tattoos up his arm, and he was too busy trying to get me wasted and naked.

But that was a year ago, right after my nasty break-up with Riley - another cheating bastard - and I'd put on my big girl panties since then and wised up. My father didn't raise me to be some sheltered, fragile little thing. He raised me to be a tough, take-no-bullshit woman. And _that_ is exactly why I've come up so fast here at Rolling Stone Magazine.

I took the Josh Myer incident and learned from it. And now my editor and best friend, Alice, was trying to kill me all over again. She _knew_ that Edward Masen was my fan girl crush since college, and she knew this would be a tough assignment for me to take on.

"Ugh, Alice…" I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms. "Seriously, the guy is an even bigger dickhead than Myer." I sighed, "Why don't you just give it to Lauren?"

That dumb slut would be putty in Masen's hands for sure. Maybe they could share herpes cream. Heh heh.

"Why in the hell would I do _that_?" She looked at me as if I had three eyes and continued her tirade. "She's not half as talented a writer as you are, and she doesn't know his music like you do. I only give her the pop music stuff like Christina Archulera and the like. You know that."

Ugh. Christina Archulera. I could interview her if I ever had to, but if I had to listen to her music to do so, well, let's just say I'd rather pour acid into my ears.

I rolled my chair forward toward the desk and rested my folded arms across the top of it.

"I'm not doing it, Alice. Forget it."

She threw a stack of photos of the sexy Adonis on my desk and folded her arms as well. "Look," she insisted, "I pulled a butt-load of strings to get you this interview!"

"I never asked you to!"

"Would you just listen to me for once? You have to take this interview. I just _know_ this is gonna lead to big things, Bella. And besides, how do you know he's really a jerk? Maybe he's a nice guy who's been painted in the wrong light."

I snorted, "Yeah, right. Like I haven't heard _that_ gem before." I shook my head at the memory of that damned black leather couch that once again flooded my brain. "It doesn't matter anyway because I'm not doing it. End of story."

"Bella! Do you want to look back on this when you're eighty and tell your grandchildren that you had a chance to meet Edward Masen and possibly bang him, and you passed it up because you were afraid?"

At that, a deep laugh erupted from my mouth. "Alice, did you just say BANG him?" My eyes were wide with shock and both eyebrows were almost at my hairline.

"Ugh, dammit Bella! Look at his eyes!" She pointed to a black and white photo of him, looking off into the distance, and as soon as I looked at his eyes, I knew I was in deep trouble. "There has to be more behind those eyes than just some guitar strumming, man-whore," she continued. "I just know it."

This was bad. Really, really bad, because not to mention his fucking beautiful, sad eyes, I was already looking at his stubble-lined jaw and fantasizing about licking it. I had to turn my head away from the photo so I could gather my wits from out of my crotch.

_Maybe if I gave Alice the puppy dog eyes and begged her…_

"Ali, pleeeeeeease? Please don't make me do this…" I whined.

"Oh, don't even try that puppy-dog crap with me. I've already booked your flight to L.A. and set you up at the Chateau Marmont. Your flight leaves at noon so you'd better go home and pack."

Man, she could be one persistent little bitch sometimes.

"Noon when? Tomorrow?"

"Nope. Today."

"WHAT? Alice, its 9:30 now! Are you fucking crazy?"

"Well, I guess you'd better move your ass then, yes?" she glared at me.

I stood up from my chair and leaned over the desk until the evil midget and I were nose to nose.

"I'm. NOT. Going."

Instead of responding, she simply smirked at me.

**X-X-X**

Two hours and two Bloody Marys later, I was boarding a flight from New York to Los Angeles, on a chilly February day. I didn't have time to change out of my work attire, thanks to Alice, so I was boarding the plane in black leggings and a long-sleeved, burgundy, v-neck sweater and black, suede ankle boots. As soon as I'd plunked down in my seat, I ordered another drink.

Well at least she'd had the decency to book me in first class. Don't get me wrong, because I wouldn't mind riding coach. I'm not spoiled. But for the sake of the other passengers, it was better for me to have my own large seat in which to freak-the-fuck-out.

I absolutely _despised _flying.

_What I wouldn't give for a tranquilizer right now…Okay, stop it. It's not that bad…oh yes it is!_

As I white-knuckled the armrest of my seat during take-off, I started to mentally prepare my list of questions for Mr. Fuck-head Masen. It was the only thing I could do in my terrified state. _This_ was the only part of my job that I hated. Well, flying and interviewing sleezy, bastard musicians.

_Maybe I should find a new occupation_.

By the time I'd had my fourth Bloody Mary, we were half-way through the six hour flight and I was finally starting to feel less anxious. Or maybe I was just drunk. Who knew.

I'd just fallen asleep (or so I thought) when the flight attendant came to tell me that we would be landing soon, and to put my seatbelt back on. She hinted at me to wipe the drool from my mouth, before she walked away. I looked up to see a blonde, short-haired, older gentleman, smirking at me from across the isle. He'd obviously seen my drool.

_Fan-fucking-tastic._

"Are you alright, Miss?" He was in row across from me, in the seat closer to the isle, while I was in my usual window seat.

I wiped the drool from my chin and fixed my After-sleep-fro. "Um, yeah, I'm fine. I guess I just had too many cocktails."

"Yes, you have to be careful with those," he said with pity in his voice and eyes. It suddenly dawned on me that I must look like some kind of raging alcoholic or something.

"Oh," I stuttered, "I don't normally drink like that…I had to do something for my nerves or they would most likely throw me off the plane."

Trust me, it had happened before. This guy had no idea what kind of potential drama the passengers had avoided by letting me have my liquid blanky.

"Ah, I see," he smiled. He seemed like a cool guy and kind of reminded me of my dad in a way, if my dad was talkative, that is.

"So are you going to L.A. on business, Mr…"

"Cullen, Carlisle Cullen." He leaned over to shake my hand, and I obliged.

"Isabella Swan."

His eyebrows perked up, "_The_ Isabella Swan from Rolling Stone Magazine? _That_ Isabella Swan?"

"You know my work?" I asked just before the plane made a strange sound. "Oh shit…" I whimpered as the planed lurched downward in descent, just about losing my lunch and my Marys. As I hunched down in my seat and clenched my eyes and my ass cheeks together, holding my breath, I heard someone sit down in the seat next to me. When I opened my eyes, the blonde man named Carlisle was sitting next to me, patting my back, and looking at me worriedly, the same way as my own father would. Still, I didn't feel comforted.

"Breathe through your nose, slowly, and out through your mouth," he reassuringly instructed me.

I did as he said, but it was no use. This nightmare wouldn't be over until we were safely on the ground. And so for the next fifteen minutes or so, I stayed in my butt-clenched-eyes-squeezed-shut-frozen position, until my own personal hell was finally over. The wheels hit the tarmac below us, and I let out a huge breath of relief.

"Sorry about that," I groaned.

_How fucking_ _embarrassing_. This poor guy probably thought I was a total nut-job.

"It's no problem, Miss Swan. My wife, Esme, has the exact same issue with flying," he smiled.

I nodded and started to unbuckle my seatbelt and gather my things. When the plane finally reached the gate, he started back to his original seat, picking up his briefcase from the overhead compartment.

"Well, it was nice meeting you Mr. Cullen. Thanks for your… uh…help, and have a nice time in L.A," I smiled, as I turned my BlackBerry back on.

"You too, Miss Swan. And good luck with your interview," he smirked.

_Interview? When had I mentioned my interview? Jesus, I really need to not drink on flights. Oh, fuck… I must have talked in my sleep again. What the hell did I say this time? Oh well, it's not like I'll ever see this guy ever again. Who cares._

"Um…thanks," I mumbled as I made my way off the plane. I could've sworn I'd heard him snickering behind me, but it was probably just my imagination.

**X-X-X**

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**A/N: Yes I know the first chapter is kind of short. I felt it was the best place to start splitting up the one-shot. But, there's more so keep going...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. All songs and song lyrics belong to their respective owners, not to me. I own nothing except the story.

**A/N: Once again, I mean no disrespect to any of the celebrities mentioned or implied to in this story. None of the stuff I write is true in any way, so don't get your panties in a bunch. :)**

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**Chapter Songs: **

"Never Think" – Performed by Rob Pattinson

"I Was Broken" – Version performed by Rob Pattinson, written by Marcus Wesley

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**Chapter 2 – Shiny Red Cars, Haunting Green Eyes and Scalding Balls**

I picked up the stupid, shiny, red Audi from the rental counter. I should've just asked Alice to have a car pick me up, because it's not like I needed this dumb thing. I only had an hour to get to the hotel, shower, prepare my questions and get over to the venue to see the asshole perform. Then interview his dumb ass, and fly home the next day. What the hell did I need my own personal car for? And why was I so damn crabby right now? It really wasn't their fault that I was in a rush to be done with this crap. I almost went back to apologize to the kid at the counter for bitching at him, but decided against it since I really was running low on time.

I could make this time crunch work. I was not a high-maintenance chick, so I could be showered and ready in less than twenty minutes. And, besides, it's not like I was trying to impress the guy. I just wanted to get the interview done, and get the fuck back to New York. I already missed my cat, Felix, anyway.

Thanks to L.A. traffic, almost an hour and twenty minutes later, I pulled my rented, red Audi into the Valet parking at the Viper Room. I paid the valet guy, and made my way over to the door, not missing the appreciative looks I was getting from all the other valet guys. They were eye-fucking me and my sexy, ankle boots that supported my long legs.

What! I wasn't going to go in there looking like a troll for Christ's sake! It was just black ankle boots and a silver tunic dress. I really didn't have much choice anyway, since Alice had overhauled my wardrobe a month ago. Plus, Riley and Jake both always told me I had great legs, and lately, I was not opposed to a little confidence boost every now and then. Not that a compliment from Jake meant much to me. I mean, when a hot gay man tells you 'you look fuck-hot in that skirt', does it really have the same effect as when a hot, straight man tells you? No, I think not. Sorry Jake.

Still, it's not like I had my tits or ass hanging out like the other bimbos I saw standing in line to get into the club.

I wondered which one of these bitches would be in Mr. Man-whore Masen's bed tonight. Not that it mattered. What the fuck did I care? I didn't.

I flashed my press badge to the bouncer and he waved me inside the door with a suggestive smile and a wink. I smiled back and proceeded through the darkly lit interior. The place was a whole hell of a lot bigger inside than I'd imagined it would be. Still, it was strangely intimate. It wasn't anything like the massive concert arenas that I was used to seeing.

After looking around the place a bit, I decided on one of the small, round tables, off to the side of the stage. Crossing my bare legs, I noticed that there were only a few tables left open, not surprisingly. The place was already packed.

I didn't have to wait long for Mr. Romeo-douche-bag himself to come out and do his thing, though I was surprised by his appearance. I had expected him to be suavely dressed, and Don Juan-ish. To my surprise, he came out in a grey t shirt, covered by an open, navy blue, flannel shirt and a navy blue, knit beanie covering his slightly long, shaggy, bronze locks. The facial stubble I had expected, but the casual black jeans and sneakers? No.

Then there was the expression he wore on his face. He almost looked sad, depressed, and tired. I mean, the guy was rich and famous and fuck-hot. You'd think he would be ecstatic.

He took a seat on the stage's lone barstool, and began to introduce himself to the crowd while he positioned his guitar and microphone stand.

"How you guys doin' tonight?" his deep, throaty voice purred as he waved to the crowd.

Some blonde tramp screamed out from a table beside me, "I love you, Edward!"

I rolled my eyes and looked at his face. He smiled and looked down at the ground, as if he was embarrassed. I actually almost felt bad for him. Almost.

He spoke again while still looking at the ground, "Uh…this is a song called 'Never Think'."

The crowd started screaming as he began strumming the guitar. As soon as the words started pouring from his gorgeously perfect mouth, I had to look away. I took my notebook out of my black leather hobo bag, and began to look over the questions I had prepared for him. I couldn't concentrate though.

"_You'll learn to hate me_

_But still call me baby_

_Oh love_

_So call me by my name"_

I looked up at him and watched as he hypnotized the crowd.

His voice was so smooth that it was starting to do things to my girlie parts and I got a little scared.

_"Girl, save your soul_

_Go on save your soul_

_Before you're too far gone_

_And before nothing _

_Can be done"_

I tried to look away again, but it was no use. I was paralyzed.

Damn it.

Eight songs later he announced that he had one more song to sing and that it was a new song he had written recently.

"This one's called '_I Was Broken'_ and uh….hope you guys like it," he laughed and shook his head while – once again – looking at the ground. I couldn't understand what all the shyness was about, but I'd assumed it was just part of the act to lure the ho-bags into his clutches.

He began to play and as soon as he started singing, I was once again sucked in.

"_I was tired and now I'm bound_

_My head is off the ground_

_For a long time, I was so weary_

_Tired of the sound"_

So, he had recently written this song? It made me wonder about a few things I heard about him and a famously famous, strawberry-blonde, actress/ex-girlfriend.

"_I was broken_

_For a long time_

_But, it's over now"_

There was a sense of sadness to his voice in some parts, and frustration in others. If I didn't know any better, I'd think that he had been long-suffering from a broken heart, and that he'd found something to hope for recently. But who knew if these songs really meant anything to him, or if he just sang whatever the suits from the record company gave him, like so many other artists. Although, he did say that he was the one who wrote it…so maybe I was right? Or maybe he wrote it based on someone else's experience? Yeah, that was probably it.

Still, the song had touched me, and by the end of it, I hadn't even realized that I'd had tears streaming down my cheeks until my eyes locked with his for a brief second. As realization dawned on me, I quickly looked down at my notepad.

_Shit! _Now this interview was going to be REALLY fucking awkward.

He finished up the final couple of notes and as the crowd began to stand up and applaud, I decided to hit the ladies room and fix my stupid face. Maybe I could lie and tell him my dog died recently or something. Yeah, that would probably work. After all, he had sung a song called 'Stray Dog'…

After I did my business and fixed my eyeliner and mascara, I headed back out toward the stage. It was empty so I started to head backstage. Of course there was a line of skanks just aching to get into his dressing room. I rolled my eyes and flashed my press badge to the bouncer waiting outside the door. He silently nodded and peeked his head inside, letting the Jerk know I was here for my interview, I'd assumed.

Finally, I was let into the small room, where there was an ass-load of people inside, milling around and chatting loudly. I didn't spot _Mr. Ladie's man_ anywhere. Suddenly, a hand came up and lightly grabbed my shoulder. I spun around to see the blonde guy from the plane standing before me.

"Carlisle? What are you doing here?"

"Hello, Miss Swan. I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to tell you earlier, but I'm Mr. Masen's manager."

Noooooo…. I think my stomach fell out of my ass, at that point.

"He's _dying_ to meet you," he smirked.

My jaw dropped open and the blood drained from my face. This caused Carlisle to laugh hysterically.

What the _hell_ had I said to him on the fucking plane?_ Oh God…_

Fuck. My. Life.

Once Carlisle composed his shit, he walked me over to a small, black, leather couch near the back of the room, where Edward sat next to a familiar looking guy with sandy-blonde, chin length, wavy hair that was partially covered by a dark cowboy hat.

Carlisle cleared his throat and the two guys looked up from their conversation. "Edward, Jasper, this is Miss Isabella Swan from _Rolling Stone magazine_."

_Jasper Whitlock. Ah yes, now I knew where I'd known him from_.

He was the lead singer of some little indie band called 'Drunk Monkeys'. His band was _supposed_ to be my first interview assignment, but somehow I'd been given the Josh Myer interview instead.

Of all the rotten-ass luck.

I reached down to shake Jasper's hand first. "Howdy, Miss Isabella," he drawled with a southern accent.

"Nice to meet you, Jasper," I smiled. He released my hand and tipped his hat to me.

"Pleasure's all mine, Ma'am," he added. I had to laugh at his accent. It was just too cute. Not cute in a sexy way though, more like a funny-ha-ha cute.

A throat cleared beside him and I looked over to see Edward's green eyes, piercing daggers at me. What the fuck was his problem?

_Aw…poor baby's not getting all the attention? Jerk. Get the fuck over yourself!_

I begrudgingly, offered my hand to the asshole. "Mr. Masen, how do you do?" I snipped. I hadn't meant for it to come out so forced or cold, but the dirty looks he was giving me and Jasper were pissing me off. After looking at me with narrowed eyes, he took my hand to shake it, and I was met with an immediate tingling feeling that radiated from my finger tips to my toes. I pulled my hand back quickly, as if it had been burned, and he did as well, the same look of shock on his face.

_Did he feel that too? What the hell was that?_

Jasper stood up. "Well, I should be goin. I've got rehearsal tomorrow," he said to me and Carlisle. "Talk to ya later, Dickface," he said to Edward and I couldn't help but snort before he turned back to me. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Isabella." He tipped his hat again to me.

"Please, call me Bella," I smiled.

"Alright, Bella, guess I'll be seein' ya."

Jasper waved at Carlisle and I, before looking back at Edward's scowling face, and taking off. I could've sworn I heard Jasper mutter "maybe not" under his breath just after he passed me.

"I should go too," Carlisle added. "Nice to see you again, Isabella."

"You can call me Bella as well, Carlisle."

"Ok, Bella. Well, good luck with your uh…interview," he half-laughed. I wondered just what the hell he thought was so funny but didn't get a chance to ask because he skittered off quickly.

That left me standing there, in the dressing room of one Edward Masen, while he sat on the edge of the couch, looking utterly mouth-watering. He was hunched over now, with his elbows on his knees, his long fingers scratching at the beanie on his head…on a stupid, black, leather couch.

_Can you say Deja-vu? No fucking thank you. Not this time_.

I would have been worried if it weren't for the twenty or so people still milling about in the small dressing room.

Edward stood up, towering over me, and scratched his forehead once again with his long fingers. "You uh…wanna go somewhere quiet?" he asked, nervously. My heart stuttered and my breath caught in my throat. Just the heady smell of him standing so close to me was making it hard for me to concentrate. I clenched my eyes shut and held my breath, trying to re-focus. Finally, I got it together.

_Nice act, jackass. I'm not falling for that shit again_.

"I'm not going back to your hotel room, if _that's_ what you're asking," I snapped.

He narrowed his eyes at me, looking offended, and growled at me, "I wasn't talking about _that_. I meant coffee or something. There's a quiet place a few blocks away and it tastes way better than that Starbucks shit." He actually sounded pissed.

"Oh. Well… yeah. That would be great actually." Coffee was safe right? And we did need a quieter place to do the interview…

As I turned away from him to head out of the dressing room, a warm hand lightly grabbed at my elbow, making it hum, and the delicious scent of manly cologne came up behind me and whispered in my ear, "Don't worry, Bella. I won't tell Josh Myer."

I looked up to see Edward Masen's smug fucking face smirking at me. My mouth popped open to say something as he winked at me before walking away.

I wanted to die.

**X-X-X**

Somehow we'd managed to make it out of the Viper Room without getting attacked by skanks. His bodyguard, Emmett, helped us get to my Audi, unscathed. I had offered to drive since I knew there was no way I could walk six blocks in my boots without tripping over something and falling flat on my mortified face. Lucky for me, he didn't argue with me and we drove in silence to the coffee shop. The only thing that I thought was weird was the fact that he didn't bring Emmett with us. Well, that, and the fact that Emmett was giving me strange looks as well. It was almost as if they were all privy to some private joke that I wasn't allowed to hear.

He was right about the coffee shop. There was nobody there and the place was very quiet and intimate. Not that intimate was good. It wasn't good. It was very, very bad. _Bad Bella! Bad!_

We took a seat, opposite each other, at one of the booths after ordering our coffees. He had ordered a regular coffee with lots of cream and sugar, after I had ordered the very same. I didn't think anything of that because that didn't seem all that weird. I think. I paid for our drinks, which seemed to piss him off when I pushed his credit card away, but I didn't care. It _was_ a business meeting after all. I didn't miss the way Edward was trying to inconspicuously ogle my bare legs as I took my seat, business meeting or not.

After placing my bag down beside me, I reached in and grabbed my notebook of interview questions and mini-disc recorder. The barista lady had just set down our drinks when I flicked on the recorder, getting down to business.

"So, Mr. Masen, that last song you sang, _'I Was Broken'_, does that song have anything to do with your widely publicized break-up with actress Tanya Denali?"

He sat back in the booth and raised an eyebrow at me. "I've only just met you and you're already going straight for my balls, huh?" he smiled. His smirk pissed me off instantly. God, couldn't he answer one question without flirting with me?

I glared at him. "I assure you Mr. Masen, I want nothing to do with your _balls_, I'm just asking you questions. It's called an interview. Maybe you've heard of it?"

"Are you always this…stuffy, when you do interviews, Bella?" he furrowed his brows.

"First of all, it's _Isabella_ to you, and second, just answer the damn question."

Okay, this was definitely NOT how I usually conducted my interviews. I was treading on thin ice here and I knew it.

He leaned back in his seat and tapped his fingers on the table. "Why is it, Carlisle and Jasper get to call you 'Bella', but I don't?" he demanded.

Why was he trying to change the subject, and why was I so irritated? This was so unlike me to act this way. And definitely not professional. Still, I couldn't help myself. My inner bitch was wide awake, and on auto-pilot.

"I'll ask the questions here, Masen. Now spill it."

"What is this, a fucking police interrogation? I don't have to answer SHIT!" he seethed.

Ha! My dad would fucking _love_ to hear that I sounded like a cop, like him. Still, I couldn't be de-railed.

"Then why are you even _here_?" I prodded, throwing my hands up, exasperated.

He took a moment to collect himself before leaning forward and answering in a low voice, "Look, I'm doing this interview because I told Carlisle I would. You can ask me _anything_ you want, _except_ about that bitch. Don't even mention her name again, or this interview is fucking over, got it?"

_Ohhh…so I had hit a sore spot. _

"Fine!" I spat.

"Good!" he spat back.

We glared at each other angrily for a minute and I could see the pain in those haunted, yet beautiful green eyes that mesmerized me. I was momentarily lost in their sadness until he furrowed his brows and looked away. I wanted to reach out and grab his face to make him look at me again. That's when I knew I was losing my professional composure. I took a deep breath and apologized.

"Look, I'm sorry. That was wrong of me to push you like that. So…can we start over?"

He looked back at me and after a moment, he smiled. My heart sped up and I got all tingly…down below. _Down girl, down!_

"I'd like that," he said with relief. He then took a sip of his coffee and I couldn't help but stare at his perfect lips.

_Mommy._

"Alright then, let me just erase the disc," I smiled back. He nodded and took off his beanie, revealing the most gorgeous, bronze, just-been-fucked hair. I had to look away, and almost dropped my recorder. While I fumbled with the damn thing, I heard him snickering across from me, which earned him my death glare and a smirk. He knew exactly what he'd done to me. Jackass.

"So Mr. Masen," I began once the recorder was ready.

"Edward," he interjected in a low, velvety voice that was not helping my girly parts.

"So _Edward_, what's it like to be a rich, famous, guitar God and heart-throb, on the cover of every magazine?"

He looked me dead in the eyes. "I hate it. Every single second of it. I wish I could take it all back, and just go back to playing in bars with my friends, where nobody knew my name."

_Well, that wasn't the answer I'd been expecting…_

"Can I ask why?"

He furrowed his brows and looked out the window again, looking completely lost. "Didn't you see all those crazy girls?" he asked. "I'm surprised I got out of the club with my shirt intact."

"Oh, please," I scoffed under my breath. He didn't miss a thing, and soon I had emerald green eyes blazing fire at me again.

_Oops. _

"You don't believe me?" he asked, defensively.

I couldn't help but roll my eyes. "Sure, I believe it's hard for you to go out without getting mauled by skanks…er…I mean, scantily-clad young girls…" At this, he laughed. "But I can't believe that you don't enjoy the attention. You guys all eat this shit up, right? Tell the truth."

And now… he was pissed again.

_Shit. Now what?_

"What the hell do you mean 'you guys'?" he barked. "Are you talking about Josh again?" My eyes widened slightly and I tensed up. "Yeah…let's talk about _that_, Isabella."

"_What?"_ I shrieked. "_NO!..._ I … I don't know what you're talking about. This is _my_ interview, not yours!"

He folded his arms across his chest like an insolent child. "Well, I don't think I'll answer any more of _your_ questions until you answer mine. What happened with you and Myer?" he demanded.

_Fuck my life! Is this jackass for real? I'm not talking about that shit. Especially not to Edward fuck-your-mother-and-your-sister-Masen. _

Neither one of us talked or moved for a good two minutes. It was a game of chicken. The show-down at the O.K. Corral. Finally, I gave in.

"Nothing happened," I lied. "He's just a major fucking scum-bag and I like to keep away from _those_ types. Now, can we get back to this interview?" I fidgeted with my hair and straightened up my blouse before clearing my throat and beginning again. "Edward, where do you see your music going in the next ten years?" I looked up from my notes and found him smirking at me again.

"So you banged him," he accused.

_Oh. My. Fucking. God._

My mouth opened and closed several times, not able to speak at first. "What? Ugh! No, I didn't _bang_ him! God, what _is it_ with you and Alice?" I swore that last part under my breath.

Oh, _now_ he was rolling with laughter. _Stupid asshole._

After a minute of watching him laugh, I scowled, asking, "Are you finished?" Because, I sure-as-shit was. I didn't need this fucking interview. _Fucking, arrogant prick. God, why did he get under my skin so badly?_

He was still trying to collect himself when he motioned for me to continue. I took a deep breath and tried to hold on to what little shred of patience I had left.

"If you hate showbiz so much, why don't you just quit, or take a vacation or something?" I inquired. "Surely you don't need the money."

"No, I don't need the money, but...I signed a contract and I'm bound to that contract for...awhile. Plus, even if I wasn't under contract, Carlisle and Emmett would be out of jobs…It's just not that simple."

_Okay, that definitely makes sense…_

"And also, I wouldn't want to disappoint my fans, or miss out on _fun_ little interviews like _this_," he added with sarcasm.

_Here we go again…Smartass! Change the subject, Bella…_

"Where would you go? On vacation, I mean."

"Honestly?" he asked.

I rolled my eyes, "No, lie to me," I scoffed. _You probably will anyway, fucking jackass._

"Ouch, Isabella. That's harsh. I'd hardly consider myself a jackass."

_Oh shit, I said that out loud? _

He laughed, "I'm sure you won't believe this either, but I'd probably just sit around the house watching _Family Guy_ and not answering my phone for a couple weeks. Or maybe go to a deserted island and lay on the beach all day. Something normal, you know?"

_Is he pulling my leg?_

"You'd sit around on your ass all day watching cartoons?" I scoffed, in total disbelief.

"I knew you wouldn't believe me," he countered, smirking. "Why are you so uptight, Isabella?"

_Because, I haven't gotten laid in a year…._

"What artist would you like to collaborate with in the future?" I asked, deflecting his question.

He tapped his finger to his chin in contemplation. "Hmm….I was thinking maybe….Josh Myer?" he smirked.

Bastard.

"Alright, that's it!" I stood up and snatched my shit off the table, shoving it in my purse. "I don't need this fucking bullshit. Alice, can kiss my fucking ass and do this God-damn interview herself!" I grumbled to myself, fighting my notebook that wouldn't get in the damn purse.

I made it about ten steps away, my heels clicking on the tile harshly, when he called to me, "Bella, wait!" I turned back to face him with a murderous glare on my face. He simply smirked and said, "Don't forget your coffee, Baby."

That was it. I'd had it with his smug fucking smirk. I walked back to him slowly, grabbed the cardboard cup, took the lid off, and tossed the lid on the table. Then I leaned over him so that one hand rested on the wall behind his head, licked my lips slowly, and took a small sip of the hot liquid, moaning after I swallowed. When I looked back at his dazed expression, I had to fight myself from laughing as I quickly poured the rest of the steamy-hot beverage _right_ over his balls, smiling all the while.

He shot up out of his seat, screaming and hissing as I backed up a step. I couldn't help but crack up. I was bent over with laughter to the point that I couldn't catch my breath and had to grab onto the table to steady myself. However, the joke was on me once I tried to leave again.

The pointy heel of my suede boot, caught in a hole in the tile underneath my foot. I stumbled forward, right into said _balls area_, as his strong hands reached out to grab me by the shoulders.

I tried to get my face out of his crotch, but the more I struggled, the more I lost my footing on the slick, coffee-covered tile, and the further my face got pushed into his coffee-soaked groin.

_Did I mention, fuck my life?_

Finally, slowly, he righted me, and I couldn't bear to look at his face. I just knew he'd either be pissed because of his damp, scalded balls, or find this absolutely hilarious on my part. I could feel and smell his delectable breath on my face as he pressed me up against him- a mixture of coffee, mint and cigarettes all mixed in with his heady Edward scent. I slowly turned my face up, only to find his mouth was merely an inch from mine, stunning me.

The previously silent room was humming all around us as he moved his hands from my shoulders, slowly down my back to finally rest on my hips and dangerously close to my ass. I didn't know if I wanted to slap the shit out of him, or throw him down on the floor and tear his clothes off. I _definitely_ wanted to kiss him, and that's when I knew I had to get the fuck out of there, immediately.

"Bella," he breathed, intoxicating me further. His Adam's-apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed, and I licked my lips. When he gasped, I snapped out of my haze, shaking my head.

"Fuck," I muttered under my breath as I _slowly_ and _carefully_ turned to leave again. The door to the café was so close, but yet so far. Somehow, I managed to make it to the door without incident.

"Wait, I'm sorry!" he called to me, but it was already too late. I was walking out the door and going the hell home. Alice was going to kill me, but I didn't give two shits. This had been a disaster, just like I knew it would be.

Not only had I insulted and possibly sterilized America's favorite bad-boy, but I'd also managed to fuck up the interview completely.

At least I'd managed to keep all my clothes on this time.

**X-X-X**

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**A/N: *snickers* Read on...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. All songs and song lyrics belong to their respective owners, not to me. I own nothing except the story.

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

"Kids with Guns" – Gorillaz

"U.R.A Fever" – The Kills

"Sly" dnb remix – Massive Attack

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**Chapter 3 – Fuck Edward Masen! Literally.**

The minute I'd made it back to my plush hotel room at the Chateau Marmont, I began to panic. I just knew when Edward told James - my boss- what I'd done to his balls, my ass would be out on the street before I even set foot on New York pavement.

I immediately checked my BlackBerry to see if I'd had any calls from either James or Alice, but there were none.

Then it started to buzz in my hand.

I didn't recognize the number, so I pressed 'Ignore'. Whoever it was called me three more times, so I just threw the phone on the bed and went to take a hot bath. Usually a hot bath or shower would calm me, but this time, no such luck. After soaking in the tub for over half an hour, I was pruny and still distraught.

I gave up and decided that I'd be better off just going the fuck home and snatched my phone off the bed to call the airport. There was a missed call from Alice, and my heart sank.

_Shit. This is it. Might as well get it over with._

With my heart in my throat, I dialed her number and waited for the execution to begin. I didn't have to wait long, seeing as she picked up on the first ring.

"Bella? What are you-" I immediately began to cry. "Bella! What happened? Are you okay?"

I started sobbing my answer, unintelligibly, telling her everything that'd happened.

"What? I can't understand you, Bella, slow down."

"Alice, it was horrible, and it's all…my fault," I sobbed between hiccups. "I told you… this was a bad… idea…"

"What did that _prick_ do to you, Bella? I will fly there _right now_ and rip his dick off!"

_Huh?_

"Wait…" I sniffed. "You mean you didn't hear from him yet?"

"Oh, I heard from him alright, but he was going on and on about how _great_ you were, and how he needed your number so he could talk to you again…so I thought things had gone _well_."

_He called her? And he said I was great?_

I sniffed again, "He…he did?"

"Yeah, he did. But Bella, why are you crying? Tell me what happened!"

Between sniffs I managed to answer, "He was…being a smartass dick…and I got pissed… and sort of…dumped my hot coffee… on his balls."

It was so silent on her end- I could hear the TV in her living room, advertising the Sham-Wow mop.

"_Regular mops just spread the mess around…Sham-wow mop cleans it up in seconds…"_

"Alice?"

After another moment of silence, she burst out laughing. When she eventually managed to get herself under control, she finally answered, "Well, I'd say you made quite the impression, since he begged me to give him your number. Did he call you?"

"Um, yeah, I think so, but I didn't answer since I didn't recognize the number."

"Hmm…so what are you gonna do now?" she asked.

"I was about to book a flight home…" I mumbled as I played with a string on my shirt.

"Bella…it's almost midnight. Just go to bed, and get on the flight I booked for you tomorrow."

I sighed, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

We talked for a few more minutes before I ended the call. _She_ sounded exhausted, but I was too wound up to sleep. I possibly had Edward Masen's number on my cell, and it was taunting me. Would he be nice, or would he be a prick again?

_What to do, what to do…_

I decided against calling him since I was positive it would lead to more insults, digging my grave deeper. Instead, I stayed up late, watching my usual re-runs of _Family Guy_ until sleep finally came for me.

**X-X-X**

In the morning, I repacked my bag and washed my face. It wasn't until I came out of the bathroom and checked the time on my phone, that I realized I had an unheard voicemail. I pressed the button and waited.

_"Isabella, it's me Edward… Look, I just wanted to call you and apologize for being such an asshole. It's just that…no one has ever talked to me like that and…I don't know why, but you…you just…I don't know what it is about you… I don't usually act like that… Still, I was a complete dick, and I'm sorry. Really truly sorry. And if you'd like to finish the interview, I'll be staying at the Chateau Marmont tonight before I fly home tomorrow. Anyway, uh…just call me back…please?...I just want to know if you're alright…okay…bye."_

The phone beeped, signaling the end of the message. I sat there, dumbfounded, on the edge of the bed.

He had called me…to apologize…after I had yelled at him…insulted him…dumped hot coffee on his nuts…on purpose…yet, he was calling to apologize…_and_ he was staying in the same hotel as me.

I didn't know what to do. My mind was going in sixty different directions. I could call him back, but I didn't know what to say. I listened to the voicemail a couple more times. Not just so I could hear his voice though. Okay, maybe it was just so I could hear his voice again.

_Fuck, I am so pathetic. What am I? A teenager? Just call him back. _

_No, don't do it. What if you piss him off again and make things worse?_

_Send him a text. No, that's just lame. Plus, he'd probably text you back, and texts can be mis-construed at times…shit!_

After much argument with myself, I decided I would call him once I got home. I wanted to be in the comfort of my apartment before I went down that road. I then called the front desk to see if Edward had checked out yet, since I now knew he was staying here as well. I didn't want to run into him in the lobby or anything. It was just after ten a.m. and the front desk attendant told me that Edward had indeed already checked out.

As quickly as possible, I made my way to the lobby with my small bag and proceeded to check out. I was coming around the corner to the little outdoor café to get a cup of coffee, when I heard a distinct voice yelling and I froze, hiding behind a large tree in the courtyard.

"_I don't care what you have to do, Carlisle, just find her. She didn't call me back last night and…no….No!...I didn't…okay, I did but…Carlisle…just…uggggh. Okay, fine. Bye."_

I peeked around the tree, to see none other than Edward Masen, hunched over a large cup of coffee and pulling at his sexy, bronze, bed-hair with complete frustration. I had a perfectly clear view of his face, and it was obvious that he hadn't slept well, judging from the dark circles under his eyes. I wanted to go and sit with him, make him feel better, but for one thing, I was looking pretty scrubby. I was only able to get maybe two hours of sleep myself and hadn't put any thought into my outfit for today. I was wearing a thin, white t-shirt, covered by a light blue button up (which I left open), and a large, oversized, navy blue hoodie and my most comfortable pair of stretchy, skinny jeans. I had managed to keep these comfortable clothes from Alice's clutches, and I was wearing those and my teal blue chucks…and not a stitch of makeup.

Edward wasn't dressed much differently from myself (a black and white flannel over a white t-shirt, black jeans and black Converse), but still, I was not about to do this right now. So, chicken-shit as I am, I put my sunglasses on and high-tailed my ass out of there. I could always just hit up the coffee shop at the airport.

**X-X-X**

Two hours later, I was sitting in my first class window seat, thinking that coffee may have been a bad idea. I had a six hour flight to live through, and coffee had just made me more on edge. I decided to get a rum and Diet Coke from the flight attendant, pronto. She must have sensed my issues, seeing as how she handed me two extra little bottles of rum.

I liked this girl.

After folding my sunglasses over the middle of my low, v-neck t-shirt collar, I poured my first bottle of rum into the glass of soda and started to chug it down. I was about to pour the other two bottles in when a voice in the back of my head told me I'd better not. I didn't really want to risk another drooling, sleep-talking incident like last time, so I chucked the two tiny bottles into my open hobo bag at my feet. The tiny amount of booze I'd just consumed wouldn't get me buzzed in the slightest, but that was probably for the better.

As I put my ear-buds on flicked on my iPod, I wondered what the hell was taking so long for the plane to get on its way. We'd been sitting here boarding for well over twenty minutes. I put on some _Gorillaz_ and closed my eyes, while waiting for the plane to move. I tried to just get into the music and relax as I bobbed my head to the beat of the song and sung along.

"_Kids with guns…kids with guns…takin over…but it won't be long…they're mesmerized…skeletons…kids with guns…kids with guns…easy does it, easy does it, they got something to say no to…" _I sang.

Yeah, I knew I was singing out loud, and probably looked retarded as I rocked out with my eyes closed, but I didn't care. I was on my way home to my fluffy kitty and my nice warm bed. It didn't matter what happened, so long as the plane didn't crash. I kept singing, waiting for the plane to _fucking move already_.

"_Drinkin out…pacifier…vitamin souls…the street desire…doesn't make sense to…but it won't be long…kids with guns…kids with guns…"_

Finally, I felt the plane move backwards. I clutched the arm of the seat as I continued to sing and groove, clenching my eyelids tightly together. It seemed to be helping, so why stop? I also wondered why they didn't ask me to turn off my iPod. Didn't that fuck with plane equipment or some shit? Ah well.

"_And they're turning us into monsters…turning us into fire…turning us into monsters…it's all desire, it's all desire…it's all desire…push it real, push it…push it, push it, push it real, push it…" _I continued to sing out loud.

Another minute later, the plane began to speed down the runway, and I sank lower in my seat. I kept singing since it was the only thing keeping me from ripping the leather off my seat, but as the plane started to lift off the tarmac, I let out a whimper and squeezed my eyes tighter together. Suddenly I felt a warm hand cover mine, along with a familiar electric feeling. I opened my eyes, looked to my left, and gasped in shock. Green eyes and fuck-hot jaw stubble stared back at me.

Edward Masen was sitting in the seat to my left. Next to me. Holding my hand. With me in my scrubby attire, rocking out like a dork.

Kill. Me. Now.

I stared at him, wide eyed, with my jaw hanging open for who knows how long. He smiled and reached over with his other hand to pull the ear buds out of my ears.

"Are you following me, Isabella?" he joked.

I tried to form a snarky answer, but I couldn't even get one word out.

"Isabella?"

"Wha…yes?...wait…huh?"

_Yeah…real good, Swan_.

"Well, at least I know you're safe, since you didn't call me back last night."

"I…was going to but…I…"

"It's okay. I understand. I should probably go find another seat. I don't want to bother you," he said sadly and started to get up, letting go of my hand in the process. I instantly felt disappointed at the loss of contact, and I didn't like it.

I grabbed his arm. "No! Sit. Please?" Apparently, I'd turned into a caveman with my new one word vocabulary.

He sat back down and I flicked off my iPod, chucking it into my purse down below.

"Look, I'm sorry I- ," he started, but I cut him off.

"No, I'm the one who should be sorry. Um…I was unprofessional, and I don't know why I behaved that way, and I apologize."

"Well…I shouldn't have kept teasing you about Myer. I've met the guy and he really is a douche-bag."

I snorted. "Yeah, that's an understatement."

Just as we both started to laugh, the plane started to dip and shake - hard - and I gasped, clutching the seat again. Edward watched me as the plane started to shake harder and I started making strange noises and whining, "Oh God, oh God, oh God…"

He moved closer to me and pulled me into his side, throwing his arm around my shoulders and rubbing my arm gently. "Hey…it's okay…it's just a little turbulence…you're okay…it'll be over in a minute," he cooed, soothingly.

I shit you not, as soon as he had his arms around me, I wasn't scared anymore. I instantly felt relieved, so I didn't make any sort of move to tell him to get off of me. We sat there silently for a minute while the plane jerked us around. It smoothed out for a few seconds and then started shaking more, and I couldn't help but bury my head in his chest. He continued to rub my arm and shoulder as the plane shook violently and I started to wonder if we were going to crash. I'd been on my share of plane rides, and it had NEVER been this bad before. Still, I wasn't freaking out completely, like I normally would be.

No, by now I would have asked for an oxygen mask.

I think Edward was trying to distract me when he started talking again.

"So, do you think you'll ever tell me what happened with him?"

_Who?... Oh, not this again._

I looked up at him until we were face to face, inches apart. I wanted to challenge him by asking him to tell me about Tanya Denali, first. But when he kept rubbing my arm the way he was, and gazing at me, I couldn't help but give him what he wanted.

I gulped and closed my eyes for a second. "He….I…interviewed him last year…and he…got me drunk…and tried to…you know…in his hotel room," I whispered as I looked down at my hands in my lap.

I waited for Edward to start laughing at me or tell me that I shouldn't have been so stupid, but when I looked back up at him, his jaw was flexed tight and he was glaring at the back of the seat in front of him.

"Edward?"

His hand gripped my shoulder tightly for a second, before he finally looked at me again.

"I know, I know," I continued. "I shouldn't have trusted him, I shouldn't have taken the drinks he gave me, and I was stupid…"

"No, Isabella. I was just thinking how I'd like to… knock his fucking teeth out, next time I see him. You're right. The guy is a bastard. I just didn't think he would… fucking disgusting," he seethed.

_Well damn. Another reaction that I didn't expect._

"Can we just…change the subject?" I begged.

"Sure, Isabella. Sorry."

"Please…just call me Bella."

He smiled brightly. "Alright…_Bella_."

The way he looked at me then and the way he said my name, made me blush like an idiot and I couldn't help but smile back at him. Lucky for me, the plane decided to shake violently, causing me to bury my head in his neck and chest area for a while. Not that I was complaining.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?" I answered against his chest.

"Did you know today is Valentine's Day?"

"It is?"

"Yup."

"Okay," I said.

At this he laughed, and I felt his chest rattle.

"So…did you have any plans…with anyone…today?" he stuttered.

I'm sure he could feel me smiling against his chest. "Edward Masen, are you asking me to be your Valentine?" I laughed.

"Maybe," he answered.

"Hmmm…I'll think about it."

"You're a real pain in the ass, aren't you?" he countered, the smile obvious in his tone.

"Maybe," I laughed.

He gently grabbed my chin and forced me to lift my head and look at him. The plane was jerking all around us, but we were in our own little bubble. The air was zinging around us again, and we stared into each other's eyes before our lips slowly came together at the same time. It was a long and gentle kiss, but when I deepened it with my tongue, he pulled back and frowned.

"Bella, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have…I mean…I should've asked you first. I didn't know you'd been drinking. I'm sorry."

"Uh…I only had half a rum and coke…and…I wasn't exactly complaining," I laughed nervously.

I was awarded with his gorgeous smile and another kiss. "So, will you go out on a date with me, then?" he asked.

"Maybe," I smirked before laying my head back down in the crook of his neck - My new favorite place – and hesitantly putting one hand on his chest. When he pulled me in tighter, I yawned, completely exhausted from lack of sleep.

He sighed and rested his head on top of mine, and somehow, amidst the violent plane ride, we both fell asleep. In each other's arms.

**X-X-X**

I put my hands on his muscular chest and slammed him against the back of the door to my apartment while I kissed him savagely. I had no idea what the hell had suddenly gotten into me. Maybe it was the pent up sexual frustration of not seeing a naked man in over a year, or maybe it was some kind of spell that Edward Masen had put on me during the cab ride over from the airport. All I knew was that when he tried to get out of the cab in front of his apartment, by himself, and didn't ask me to come up to his place…I wanted him.

When he stood next to the open cab door at his penthouse apartment, something in me sparked. I grabbed his hand and pulled him back into the cab and told the driver to take us to my place. Edward's eyes were wide with shock, which threw me off as well. I just knew that I wasn't ready for this – whatever it was- to end yet.

I wasn't sure if it was the fact that he'd taken a cab instead of the large black SUV they'd sent for him - making him look so normal to me- or if it was because he'd made no other moves on me, except holding my hand in the cab ride from the airport to his place. What I did know, was that if he was willing, I was going to take charge of the situation this time, and fuck him senseless.

And so, I did.

He talked nervously to me about monotonous things until we reached my apartment door. And as soon as he closed the door behind us, I pounced, throwing my bags to the ground in the process, and yanking his off his shoulder to rid them as well. After attacking his mouth with my own, I reached up and ripped off his beanie so I could finally rake my fingers through that sex hair of his.

And it…was…heavenly.

I threaded my fingers into the hair at the back of his head, causing Edward to grab me by the ass and pull me closer to him. No words were spoken as I ground my stomach into the large bulge in his pants. The only sounds that could be heard were each other's moans and heavy breathing, along with the smacking, sucking, and licking of each other's lips.

I was too close and not close enough at the same time. I could faintly hear my cat, Felix, meowing loudly in the background for attention, but he'd have to wait until mommy was finished molesting her new friend.

As we made our way backwards to my bedroom, a trail of clothing was left along the way. By the time I pushed him down on my bed, we were both clad only in our underwear, with the exception of my black lacy bra. I marveled at the smattering of bronze hair on his rock hard chest and abs, as I straddled his lap and traced my fingers slowly down his happy trail. Edward hissed and closed his eyes tightly as his fingers ground into the flesh at my hips.

"Bella, we don't have to do this," he groaned as I licked the skin at his neck. I'd never been the aggressor in bed, but Edward Masen had brought something new out in me – something wild and wanton. It was like my inner tiger had been released from her cage, and I didn't know if I could put her back in, even if I wanted to.

I grazed my chin along his sideburn and whispered into his ear, "Did you want me to stop?"

He shivered at my words but finally answered me in a low voice, "_God, no._ I just don't want you to regret-"

"Then, shut up and fuck me," I commanded, huskily.

_Whoa. Where the hell did that come from?_

I didn't even have more than a second to think about being embarrassed, because Edward flipped me on my back with superhuman speed and started pulling down the straps of my bra, before reaching around to my back and unhooking it with just a snap of his fingers.

As he licked and sucked at my breasts and neck, I scratched my nails down his back with one hand and gripped his hair with the other as I wrapped my legs around his waist, pulling him closer to me. He responded by rubbing his huge erection into my center, causing me to moan very loudly. I felt him smile against my neck, but resisted the urge to say something snarky. I couldn't form a single word right then if I tried.

Edward started to pull down my matching black lace thong, when I realized I wasn't sure if I had any condoms left over from before Riley moved out. While Edward attacked my breasts and my stomach, I reached over to my nightstand and felt around blindly for a foil packet. When I finally felt one, I snatched it up in my hand and brought it to me, ready to rip it open with my teeth. Edward looked up from my breasts and eyed the condom in my hand.

"That's not gonna fit," he said smugly and I panicked. Surely, I couldn't sleep with a notorious man-whore like Edward Masen without a condom! I tensed up immediately and he sensed it, adding, "Don't worry, I have my own," before returning his attention back to my breasts. _Of course he does…_The second his hot mouth was on my nipple, I forgot all about condom discussions for the time being.

The next thing I knew he was making his way south, kissing every inch of skin along the way, and pulling my panties down in the process. I kept my hands in his hair the whole time and when he started kissing his way up my thighs, I pulled a little at his hair in anticipation. Slowly he made his way to my wet, hot center. As he licked and sucked me there, I pulled his hair so hard, I was sure I was hurting him…that is, until he started going at me, feverishly, and driving me absolutely crazy. It only took seconds before I was screaming his name and panting from the wave of orgasm that crashed over me, leaving me dazed and content.

I was still seeing stars when I felt the bed move and heard the sound of foil wrap being ripped. Had he left the room? Was that a condom wrapper? When did he grab that? Usually, I was a very observant person, but right now, I couldn't even remember my last name.

When the room finally came back into focus, I looked down to see Edward rolling a condom over his massive length. _Holy Shit!_ He wasn't kidding when he said the other condom wouldn't fit! Edward's dick made Riley's look like a mini-corndog! Was that even going to fit? _Jesus!_

The wanton-tiger-bitch in me was re-awakened by the sight, and she wanted her dinner. As soon as he started to crawl up my body with his muscular arms and chest, I pulled his face down to mine and kissed him passionately, massaging his tongue with mine, and biting his lip. He moaned in response and that was all I needed to launch my next attack. I hooked a leg over his hip and somehow, I managed to flip us over so that I was on top, straddling him again.

I started kissing and sucking on his neck as I reached down and gripped his monstrously large dick in my hand and positioned myself. This was probably going to hurt. A lot.

While I slowly lowered myself onto him, Edward was palming my breast with one hand, and caressing my thigh and ass with the other.

"God…so…tight," he panted, breathlessly.

When he was finally all the way in, we both moaned, finally being connected, skin to skin. Like puzzle pieces clicking together, we fit perfectly. He pulled his hand away from my breast, only to place it on my cheek. I raised my head and looked into his burning, emerald eyes. I could see so many things reflected in them. Desire, gratitude, heartache, lust, fear…

"Bella," he murmured, "I want you…so badly… I…I need you."

The meaning behind his words was there in his eyes, and it was all I needed.

"You have me," I whispered.

A silent understanding was forged between us that night as our bodies melted together, over and over again. It was the best sex I'd ever had in my entire life, and although I wasn't sure if he felt the same, it didn't matter. I had never believed in love at first sight before, and I didn't know what the future would hold after this night was over. All I knew, impossible as it seemed, was that Edward Masen was a famous rock star, sought after by millions of women all around the world, but he was there, with me. He would probably only break my heart, and take my soul with him, but it didn't change the fact that I was already stupidly falling for him, crazy and scary as it was. And that night, as he held me tightly against his chest while he slept, I thought, no, I _believed_ he felt it too.

And it was enough…for now.

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**A/N: And now for the aftermath...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: **Stephenie Meyer owns all things Twilight. All songs and song lyrics belong to their respective owners, not to me. I own nothing except the story.

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**A/N: I really had fun writing this chapter, so I hope you will crack up as much as I did.**

**Oh, and one more reminder, I mean no disrespect to any celebrities that I poke fun of in this or any other chapter...it's just fiction and its all in good fun. :)**

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**Chapter Song:**

"Shame For You" - Lily Allen

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**Chapter 4** - **Bruised Egos and Beans Between the Eyes**

I woke up the next morning to something soft, caressing my face.

"Mmmm," I moaned. "Edward, if we do it one more time, my uterus is going to fall out."

I'd expected some laughter to match mine or at least _some_ kind of response. Instead I was met with silence and then a low growling. But not the growling I'd heard from Edward last night. This growling was coming from my large, tabby cat, Felix. It was a growl I'd come to know all too well, but hadn't heard in months. It meant only one thing.

Riley was here.

In my apartment.

_Shit! What the fuck is he doing here? I knew I should've changed the locks._

My stomach dropped as I noticed the empty space beside me in the bed. I squinted my eyes at the bright-ass sunlight coming through my window blinds and rolled over to glance at the alarm clock beside the bed.

_12:46!_

Realizing I was still naked under my duvet, a thousand thoughts suddenly went through my head.

First, what the fuck was Riley doing in my apartment? Didn't I tell him to stop coming over unannounced, and to leave the fucking key on my counter the last time he was here? _Fuck!_ Couldn't he just get out of my life already? And what did Edward think about this? I hadn't even had a chance to tell him about Riley and me yet.

Speaking of which… Where _was_ Edward?

Knowing that I'd always been a deep sleeper, I figured that he'd probably tried to wake me but couldn't. And if he was out in the living room, surely I'd hear the two of them talking…

No voices, though.

He must have left. But maybe he'd left a note at least? I looked all through the rumpled, purple sheets, under the pillows, and on both nightstands and found… nothing.

_Well, what did you expect, Swan? You got what you wanted… You fucked his brains out and you knew what his reputation was. What else is there to say?_

_No. That couldn't be, could it? I mean, what about everything he'd said to me last night? Did I just dream the whole damn thing?_ The ache between my legs and the smell of him on my sheets, gave me my answer. Definitely NOT a dream. _Cock-zilla_ had most definitely been inside me last night. Repeatedly.

I could hear cupboards being opened and closed in the kitchen and figured I'd better get this over with and find out what the hell Riley's dumb ass wanted.

Throwing on a t-shirt, sweats and my bath-robe, I shuffled over to the bathroom to wash my face and teeth, and do my … er… other business.

_Man! It hurts to even walk!_

After relieving myself and tying the robe tightly closed, I waddled like a penguin, into the kitchen. What I saw there made the bile rise in my throat. Riley was hunched over the counter, shoveling cereal into his mouth, dripping milk all over his chin.

"Would you like to tell me just what the fuck you're doing here?" I growled with my hands on my hips. "And who said you could eat my fucking cereal, asswipe? You don't live here anymore."

"Baby, come on…"

"Don't you _Baby_ me, you…you…fucknut! How long have you been here anyway?"

"Just a few minutes," he shrugged. "Bella…how long are you gonna keep this up?"

"Keep _what_ up?"

"I told you, the thing with Victoria is over now."

Victoria is one of my co-workers at the magazine. Riley had met her right when I started working there and began banging her behind by back. I caught them in our bed one day when I came home from work early with a migraine.

"And I care about that because…?" I yelled.

He set the spoon down in the bowl and came around the counter to stand before me, reaching out for me.

"Touch me and lose a testicle!" I warned with one hand in front of me.

"Baby, you know she never meant anything to me… I'm sorry. Can't you just forgive me already?"

"Hmm… let me think about it… No."

"Bella…" he whined.

"Is this what you came over for? You could've just called me and saved yourself the trouble of breaking into my place."

"It's _our_ place, and I didn't break in," he smiled, fishing a key out of his pocket. "I still have a key, remember?" he asked, holding the key in front of my face.

I snatched the key out of his hand. "Well, now you don't. And you lost all rights to this place when you brought that red-headed whore into my bed," I seethed.

He started to give me the puppy dog eyes, pouting his lips. _Ugh. _What I once thought was cute as hell, now made me completely disgusted. I rolled my eyes and fought back the vomit.

"Riley, I'm giving you thirty seconds to get your ugly face out of here before I go get my shot-gun."

He knew I wasn't bluffing and picked up his jacket from off the back of one of my kitchen chairs, running for the door. I'd pulled out the shotgun that day I caught the two of them together.

I smirked and turned to rifle through my cupboards for a can of refried beans. It was lunch time now, and I was starving from my…activities, and up for some nachos. But just when I'd grabbed the can in my right hand, Riley called me, causing me to spin around.

"Hey Izzy? I almost forgot to ask you… Could you do my taxes for me again this year?" He asked. "You always give a _nice_ refund," he added, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

I stared at him in shock while he stood halfway in the open doorway. My blood suddenly boiled at his audacity and before I knew what was happening, I hurled the can of beans through the air as I screamed in rage.

He _didn't_ duck in time and the can of beans hit him right between the eyes, causing him to stagger back and scream in agony as if I'd ripped off his arm. I ran over to the door and watched with amusement as he hissed and groaned, sobbing like a little girl and clutching his hands to his face.

"There's your refund, asshole! And don't _ever_ come back here or I'll have my dad get rid of your ass and make it _look_ like an accident!" I yelled before slamming the door and locking both dead-bolts.

I leaned against the door and slid down to the floor, snickering, as I replayed my assault on Riley in my head. When my laughter finally died down, I looked to the side for the can of beans and noticed a small, dark blue ball of knitted fabric. Edward's beanie. I grabbed it and held it in front of me, looking for answers.

Why did he leave without saying goodbye?

_Because he's a man-whore, Bella, that's why! Duh!_

Oh right. Well… so much for that. And to think I'd actually thought I was in love with him. After half a day and one night. Less than twenty four hours.

_Impossible._

Right?

Maybe he left to go get us something to eat? Surely he would have left a note.._. Gah!_ This was just too much for me to handle at the moment. I didn't understand why I was so damn unlucky in the love department. Why would he just leave like that? It didn't make sense. Well, it made sense for the Edward Masen I'd met at the coffee shop – the one who was constantly photographed with different women, but not for the Edward Masen I'd fallen for on the plane… the one who'd made love to me just last night and told me how he needed me.

_Needed you so he could bust a nut five times…_

Shut. Up.

I groaned in frustration and picked myself up off the floor, walking back into the kitchen. As I set the can of beans down on the counter, I couldn't help but think of him. It just wasn't fair. Didn't I deserve some happiness for once? I knew what I was getting into when I brought Edward back here to my place. I knew he wouldn't want to date me later or have any kind of relationship. I knew he'd break my heart if I got too close.

_But you did it anyway, didn't you?_

Suddenly I wasn't hungry anymore.

I chucked the bowl of cereal into the sink and left the can of beans on the counter, deciding to take a shower and go to work. When I was in L.A, Alice told me I didn't have to work today, but I needed the distraction.

After I'd turned on the water in the shower, I hesitated before getting in. Is it weird that I didn't want to wash him off of me?

_Just do it, Bella. It's over._

With my head down, I sighed and stepped in, letting the scalding hot water wash away all traces of him.

**X-X-X**

"Hellooo…. Earth to Bella…"

"Huh?" I mumbled, my chin in my hand as I leaned on the desk and stared at my computer screen. "Oh hey, Jess. What's up?"

She held out a very large bouquet arrangement of red roses, smiling, "These came for you just now," she giggled.

Jessica Stanley was a receptionist at the magazine, and a total gossip hag. I just knew if these flowers were from who I thought they were from, I was going to hear about this shit for weeks. I wish I could say they were from Edward – _God, I fucking wish_, but I knew better.

"Um…thanks, Jess."

She wiggled her eyebrows and laughed as she snatched the tiny envelope out of its holder and handed it to me before sauntering her dumb-blonde ass out of my office.

Just as I was about to open the envelope, my office line rang. I picked it up and cleared my throat.

"Bella Swan speaking…"

"Hey, hey pretty lady," a raspy, young boy's voice cooed.

"Hello, Jason…" I said, rolling my eyes.

Jason fucking Dieber. My own personal stalker.

"You get my flowers?" he asked.

"Yes, I sure did. Thank you…_again_."

"Anytime, girl, anytime. So have you thought about my offer?"

_Oh man_… I did not have the patience for this shit today. Jason had been calling and sending me flowers for two months now, ever since I interviewed him. I felt bad because he was a nice kid and all, but he was a _kid_ for Christ's sake. Shouldn't he be chasing after girls his own age? Fifteen-year-old high school girls, not twenty-four-year old women.

The thought was just… _ew_. Not to mention, illegal as hell. And really…just gross. I'm not into the whole cougar thing. Sorry, Jason. And what was the fucking deal with that stupid haircut? How the hell did he see in front of his face. He looked like a sheepdog. But I digress...

"Jason," I replied in my most polite voice. "Thank you _so_ much for the flowers and for the invitation, but there is absolutely _no way_ I can be your date for the VMA's… It just can't happen. I'm sorry."

The MTV Video Music Awards were still at least four months away, but he was planning ahead. Very ambitious, that one.

"Oh, it's cool, it's cool," he feigned interest. "I just figured we might have a good time together that's all, but it's cool."

_Shit_, I felt horrible for hurting his little feelings. He really was just a sweet, innocent kid. And here I was, breaking his poor little heart. I had to do something. Then inspiration hit me.

"Hey, Jason? I have a cousin named Claire who's sixteen. I could call her and see if she's interested. I think you'd really like her." Claire wasn't _really_ my blood related cousin, but still, she was very cute. All the boys in forks were after her like hungry little wolves, or so Jake had told me.

"Does she have a sweet ass like yours?"

_What the?... And here I was thinking he was all innocent._

"Um… actually she's way prettier and her ass is much better."

"Sweeeeeeet. Text me the info and a picture and I'll get back to ya."

_Oh God, what have I done? My dad is going to kill me. Not to mention, Claire's dad._ Oh well, at least I'd finally gotten Dieber off my back.

I ended the call shortly after that, just as Alice came in to check on me, _yet again_.

"I'm fine Ali, you don't have to keep coming in here," I groaned.

She sat on the edge of my desk and fiddled with a strand of her wispy, short, black hair. "Why don't you just call him? I'm sure he's got some explanation for why he left without saying anything."

"I don't care anyway," I lied, not meeting her eyes.

"You're a horrible liar, you know that?" she laughed. "You look like complete shit, and your shirt is on inside out."

I looked down at my burgundy, silk blouse and gasped. "Ah…fuck!"

"Go home and call him, Bella."

Of course, I'd told her _everything_ as soon as I'd arrived at work. Even the bit about Riley showing up in my apartment. Alice Brandon was a pushy, hyper, pain in the ass…but she was also an excellent listener.

"And say what? Oh hey, I know we only spent one night together and all, but I'm totally in love with you already, and now I want to be your stalker. Can we do lunch or something?"

Alice squealed in delight, clapping her hands together.

"What?" I asked, exasperatedly.

"You just said you were in love with him," she whispered while her blue eyes twinkled.

"No I didn't."

"Uh…yeah you totally did."

"I did?" _Jesus, did I really say it out loud?_

"Yup," she smiled wider.

I bit my lip, contemplating what to do next. Clearly I wasn't getting any work done here, judging by my blank computer screen.

"I think I _will_ go home…but I'm not calling him."

"Bella…"

"Alice, just stop, okay? I can't do this right now. Just leave me alone," I grunted as I stood up and picked up my gray trench coat and purse.

"Okay," she whispered.

"I'll call you later," I told her. She nodded and watched me leave my tiny office.

When I came around the corner, I spotted my boss, James, headed in my direction. His hands rested in the pockets of his jeans and his button-up shirt was open all the way down to his peck-line. All the other girls thought he was sexy as hell, except for me and Alice. We just thought he looked like a creepy, tree-hugging hippie with his stupid long blonde hair that he tied back in a low pony-tail. And we both hated the way he looked at us with his icy blue eyes. They same way they were looking at me now…like a predator.

He sauntered toward me, smiling.

_Ah, fuck. Not today…_

"Isabella," he crooned. "How's that Masen interview going?"

_Double fuck…I have no story..._

"Uh…it's uh…going great," I lied. "Got a lot of great stuff. I'll have it ready for you soon."

"Good, because I'm thinking we'll feature him on the April cover. So I'll need that interview finished and ready in the next couple weeks. That way, we can get him photographed and have everything ready in time."

"Right. Uh… I'm right on top of it, sir."

"Mmm… I like that you're…on top of it, Isabella," he sneered, blatantly looking at my chest.

_Ugh. Pervert_.

"Well, I gotta go. I'll see you later, sir," I said, quickly brushing past him and running for the elevators. James was notoriously known for ogling the women at work, but he never took it past that.

And what was I supposed to do about the interview? I still didn't have the answers I needed for the interview… or for my shattered ego.

Forty-five minutes later, I was curled up on my couch, drowning my sorrows in a tub of Ben-n-Jerry's - Cherry Garcia.

**X-X-X**

The next two days went on like a broken record. I woke up, showered, checked my phone for missed calls, slammed the phone into my purse when there weren't any from Edward, went to work, did nothing but throw sharpened pencils into the ceiling, went home early, ate a pint of Ice Cream, passed out on the couch in front of the TV, woke up, took a shower, checked my phone for missed calls…and so on.

I'd be lying if I said I didn't cry a few times. I couldn't help it. I just felt so…used. Again.

On the third night and third tub of Ben-n-Jerry's, I was just about to go into an Ice Cream coma when my cell phone_ finally_ rang.

I jumped off the couch and ran at lightning speed to fish it out of my purse where it sat on the kitchen table.

_Damn it. Just Alice._

I pushed the button, groaning, "Hey Ali, what's up?"

"Turn on the TV, channel eleven!" she screamed.

"What? What are you screaming for? What's going on?"

"Hurry!" she screeched.

"Okay, okay…jeez, keep your hair on, Brandon."

I flopped down on the couch and grabbed the remote, flicking through the channels to get to eleven.

There on my screen, larger than life, was a TMZ report about my bed buddy, Edward Masen. It was a video showing Edward being dragged out of a bar by Emmett, his bodyguard that I'd briefly met a few nights ago. Edward looked completely smashed out of his mind and one eye looked bruised.

_What the fuck?_

I listened to the reporter's commentary.

"_Looks like Masen is at it again… Haven't seen him this drunk since he broke things off with Tanya Denali two years ago…"_ The blonde, surfer looking guy said.

"_I doubt the ladies in that bar are complaining. He's so disgusting. I wouldn't touch him to spit on him!"_ A girl with dark hair and big black glasses, hissed.

"_I would,"_ said another girl with super short blonde hair. _"I'd be all over that like white on rice!"_

"_This is the third time he's been out this week! Dude's got a serious partying problem…"_ the main guy, Harry Levin, added.

_Third time this week eh? Here I am drowning in frozen cow's milk, pining over this jackass, and he's out there laughing it up? Fucker!_

"Alice, what time do you think they filmed that?" I asked her.

"Uh…a few hours ago? Why?"

"I'll call you back."

"Bella, what are y-"

I hit the end button and watched as they replayed the video a couple more times. Every time I saw Edward's face laughing, I wanted to throw my phone at the TV. I don't know why, but I felt like I deserved _some_ explanation. Was I really just a piece of ass? Did it mean _nothing_ to him?

I scrolled through my contact list and found his number, hitting the send button and shaking my leg nervously.

His phone picked up on the fifth ring, but it wasn't _his_ voice that answered.

"Bella?"

"Carlisle?"

"I'm sort of busy at the moment," he snapped. I could hear retching in the background and Edward moaning.

"Carlisle, what's going on?" I could tell that Edward was obviously barfing his guts out, but I wanted to know why Carlisle was being so fucking rude to me.

"I could ask you the same thing, Miss Swan. Or should I say, _Mrs. Biers_?"

_WHAT?_

**X-X-X**

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**A/N: Oh snap! You didn't see that shit coming, did you! Bahahahhahaa. Did you like the part where she threw the can of beans at Riley's head? I actually know this chick who did that to her husband! LMAO! Please don't actually do that to someone! You could really hurt them...still funny though, yes?**

**And what's up with Drunkward, eh? You'll find out soon. Let's all have nachos today in honor of Bella! She has quite a temper, huh? Yep. It's gonna get her into trouble...that's all I'm sayin...lol ****xx**


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: SM owns all the Twilight characters.

I only own the smart-ass things that come out of this Bella's mouth. I also own this Edward's Black eye. He deserved it, the asshole! LOL

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**A/N: Soooooo...I'm bAAAAAaaaaack...**

**Hope you like this chapter. The song I picked will make sense when you get toward the middle/end of the chapter. I figured Bella might be listening to it in her Jeep.**

**So, if there's one thing I've learned, it's DON'T GET INTO AN ARGUMENT WITH A DRUNK PERSON! Why? Because A). They usually don't remember it in the morning so what's the point, and B). They can be very mean and very stupid, and also they don't remember it! LOL. If only someone had told Bella...**

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**Chapter Song:**

"Fuck You" ~ Cee-Lo Green

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**Chapter 5 – Riley's Lies, and Edward's Shitty Evil Twin**

"Why are you calling me _'Mrs. Biers'_?" I questioned, after my eyes finished bugging out of my head. "Who told you to call me that?"

Carlisle sighed, frustrated. "Well that's what Edward's been rambling on about for the last three days."

_Why would he?… no…_

While I listened to Edward tossing his cookies in the background, my mind went to work, putting the puzzle pieces together. It didn't take long for me to figure out that Riley must've said something to Edward when he was in my apartment. _But married? To Riley?...Seriously?_

_Riley Biers… you are a fucking DEAD MAN._

"Carlisle, I swear to you, I'm _not_ married."

He huffed out an exasperated but relieved breath. "Well, try telling _him_ that…well…later anyway. Listen, Bella, I have to go. I need to get him cleaned up."

_Ew._ I hated puke. Hated looking at it, hated smelling it, hell, even hearing somebody ralphing usually made me gag. Still, I felt bad for Edward and wanted to go help him. Not to mention explain this whole fucked-up situation that Riley's stupid ass had created for me. I needed to talk to Edward and tell him everything.

"Wait!" I pleaded urgently. "Can I…could I come over there? I'll help you."

Carlisle took a minute to decide, groaning, "I don't know if that's a good idea right now, Bella. He's pretty angry and belligerent and I wouldn't want to risk you getting hurt…"

_Please!_ I scoffed in my mind, rolling my eyes. I damn sure could take care of myself.

"I'm not scared of him, Carlisle. Just give me the address…please?"

I remembered what the building looked like where the cab had pulled up that night, but I couldn't for the life of me remember the street name or number on the building.

After another moment of consideration, Carlisle gave in and gave me the address. We disconnected and I raced to my bedroom to change out of my tattered sweats and grimy t-shirt, into some jeans and a white, thermal long-sleeve tee. It was fucking cold outside and I didn't want my tits or toes to freeze off so I threw on my furry brown boots with the wedge heel and my brown parka jacket.

Felix sat on my bathroom counter and watched me as I brushed my teeth.

"What?" I asked him. "Just because he has puke breath, doesn't mean mine should be jacked up." Yeah I was having a one way conversation with my cat. Fucking pathetic, yes?

Once my teeth were thoroughly scrubbed, I dashed out the door to catch a cab on the street below, cursing the fact that it was now well after midnight and the cabs were few and far between. Still I was determined and all but jumped out in front of the next cab I saw, hopping in quickly and speeding off to the unknown world of Edward Masen's penthouse apartment.

**X-X-X**

At exactly 1:16 a.m. I stepped out of the warm cab and into the mind-numbing cold February air, in front of the large, nine-story, brick building on First Avenue. I marveled at how simple the building really looked. It wasn't too flashy or ritzy like the Trump Towers. It was a simple old-fashioned brick construction with black light fixtures at the main doors. Still, it was huge compared to the small three-story brownstone I currently resided in.

Due to Edward's little drunken escapade that had been splashed all over the late night news, there were a few Paparazzi lingering in front of the brick building. Though not nearly as many as I'd seen in my short time in Los Angeles.

The doorman stayed inside as I approached the green awning, only opening the door when I came close enough.

"Evening, ma'am," the tall man greeted me, tipping his hat that sat on top of his red hair. Once we were safely inside and away from the prying ears of the Paps, he continued, "Carlisle said to expect you."

"Thank you," I mumbled, smiling meekly. I hoped he didn't think I was one of Edward's ho-bags coming over for a late night romp. The thought of it made me uneasy and embarrassed.

He walked me over to the elevators, eyeing me speculatively. It was almost as if he was nervous or something with his eyes darting to me and then away again. By the time we made it over to the elevators, I was getting irritated by the way he was looking at me.

"What?" I demanded, defensively.

"Nothing, I was just wondering if you were a… doctor or a relative or something," he shrugged.

_A doctor?_

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, I just…uh…" he continued, shuffling his feet from left to right. "I've just never seen any girls come here to see Mr. Masen."

_Really… _

_Well, duh… _my inner cynic snarked._ Can't exactly have his ho-bags knowing where he lives you know…_

"No, I'm not a doctor or a relative. I'm just a friend." I really didn't know what else to say, and it was none of his fucking business anyway.

"Oh," he replied nervously. "Well, he's up on the top floor, apartment 1901."

"Right. Thanks."

I stepped in the elevator and took some deep breaths, preparing myself. When the tiny elevator finally reached the top floor, my heart thumped wildly in my chest and the hairs on the back of my neck stood up, but in a good way. It was like my body _knew_ he was close by the way it was humming.

After stepping out of the small box, I meandered down the hall to the door marked 1901 and knocked gently. The door whooshed open and Emmett's relieved face greeted me.

"Thank God, you're here," he gushed, pulling me into the apartment. "Maybe you can talk some sense into his dumb ass."

I chuckled and shook my head. "How bad is he?"

"Pretty bad, dude. He damn near barfed up his intestines, I think."

"Jesus," I whispered. "How much did he have to drink?"

Emmett made an uncomfortable face. "I cut him off around beer thirteen."

"_Thirteen!_" I yelled. Shit, even my father couldn't handle more than a six pack without getting completely sloshed, and Charlie Swan was a veteran drinker of Ranier Beer - his favorite brand- or as he referred to it, _Vitamin R_.

"Yeah," he continued. "Not to mention the shots of Jager…"

"Emmett, why'd you let him drink so much?" I demanded, shoving his burley arm.

"I'm his bodyguard, Bella, not his mommy," he laughed at me. I scowled at him while he continued. "Besides, it's _your_ fault he's all fucked up right now, not mine. So quit bitching at me."

My mouth popped open in shock. "_My_ fault? How the fuck is this _my_ fault?" I demanded, throwing my hands up in the air.

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Oh man, you're just as blind as him. Couple of bozo's…"

I took a deep cleansing breath and sighed. "Explain, por favor…" I replied, getting a laugh from him.

"Dude, he's been going on and on about you since he saw your picture…and then-"

"_Picture_? What Picture?"

Emmett looked at me with his eyes wide. "Oops."

"What. Picture. Emmett."

He shuffled nervously from foot to foot before answering, "Er…the uh…picture Carlisle sort of…sent him of you…from the plane…uh…sleeping."

_NOOOOOO!_

I gasped and started pacing back and forth. "So _that's_ why you guys were all acting funny at the club?"

_Wait, why the hell would Carlisle take a picture of me sleeping when he hadn't even met me yet?_

"There's more isn't there!" I accused. "_Why_ did Carlisle send Edward a picture of me?"

He looked completely uncomfortable and desperate to get out of the apartment, but I was not about to let him move an inch.

"Emmett…don't fuck with me…" I warned.

"God, you are one scary little girl," he shuddered before continuing. "He sent it to Edward because I guess you were talking about him in your sleep, repeating his name and…uh… moaning." _Oh no…please no…_ "So… Carlisle snapped the picture and texted it to Edward when he landed, saying that you were _obviously a big fan_…"

_Aggggh!_

I plopped down on Edward's fluffy, brown suede couch and buried my head in my hands, groaning in complete humiliation.

_Why oh why can't I just be fucking normal and not talk in my sleep?_

Emmett sat down next to me, patting my back. "Hey, if it helps…it was a good picture…no drooling or mouth hanging open."

_Well, thank fuck for small miracles!_

"He really likes you a ton, kid," Emmett continued. Even though I could've said something smart-assed in return to his 'kid' reference, I didn't. Instead I nodded in agreement before changing the subject.

"What happened to his eye?"

"I punched him," Emmett shrugged, as if punching Edward in the face was something he did everyday. Yeah, no big deal.

I giggled uncontrollably. "But you're his _bodyguard_, Emmett," I laughed. "Isn't that sort of…I don't know…ironic?"

"Yeah, well, I'm also his cousin so I can pretty much do whatever the fuck I want to him, and I don't know if you've noticed, but your boyfriend in there has a tendency to mouth off a little too much."

_Edward Masen? Mouth off? You don't say…_

I snorted a laugh and nodded just as I heard footsteps clacking down the hardwood floor behind us. I raised my head to see Carlisle approaching.

"Carlisle," I started. "Is he…I mean can I…"

"He's sleeping, Bella," he sighed, looking completely worn out. "But you're more than welcome to go check on him if you'd like."

I jumped up from the couch and Carlisle led me down the hallway, to the last door on the end, opening it slowly. My breath caught at the sight of Edward, curled up in a ball on top of his king-sized bed, clutching one of the large golden pillows and pursing his lips into a cute little pout. He still had the same clothes on from the video I'd seen of him earlier, minus shoes, his black leather jacket and the black beanie.

"I'm exhausted," Carlisle whispered to me. "Emmett will be staying in the guest room if you need him, but I've got to go. I have a media shit-storm to prepare for tomorrow and besides that, my wife will cut my balls off if I don't get home soon."

His unexpected choice of words made me laugh out loud, causing Edward to stir slightly and moan deeply. I'd be lying if I said that sound didn't bring back memories from…before. I shook the naughty thoughts off and focused on what I needed to do.

"You can go, I'll take it from here," I whispered to Carlisle.

He patted my back before stepping away, back down the hall. I closed the bedroom door and vaguely heard Carlisle and Emmett talking in hushed voices before the front door opened closed again, leaving me all alone with Edward, well, except for Emmett in the apartment.

Taking another cleansing breath, I slowly walked into the vast bedroom, taking in its simple décor . Besides the large bed – covered in a dark-gold bedspread, there was only a dark wood chest of drawers, two small bedside tables, and a tall bookshelf filled with books and a stereo system. On top of the chest of drawers was a modest-sized flat-screen TV, and to the side of it was a rack that held three different guitars. That was it. No pictures or paintings on the stark white walls.

Setting my black hobo bag down beside the bed, I shrugged off my coat and kicked off my boots before padding over to the light switch and flicking off the lights in the room. The light in the bathroom was still on so the room wasn't completely dark. Once I looked back toward the bed, I noticed his cell phone sitting on the bedside table. I could tell you that I did the right thing and stayed the hell away from it.

And… I'd be lying.

I picked up the offending object and pressed the buttons I knew would unlock the screen. His BlackBerry was actually very similar to mine. I didn't check his list of contacts looking to see how many bitches were listed - for which I was very proud of myself. _However_, I did hum the theme to Mission Impossible in my head as I went to – _not through_ - his texts, skipping over all of them until I got to the one from Carlisle with a picture attachment.

_Bingo…_

I clicked the button and there it was. A little snapshot of my sleeping face, resting peacefully in my leather airline seat. Emmett was right. It didn't look all that bad, _thank you baby Jesus_. I exited out of the phone without looking at anything else, though I was really tempted, and put the phone back where I'd found it.

I climbed up onto left side of the high bed and scooted close to Edward, not really knowing just what to do. I stared at his sleeping face for a minute before tentatively reaching my hand out to touch his face. I moved a lock of his soft bronze hair off of his forehead and traced my fingertips down to the bruise under his left eye. Just as I was about to touch his lips, his hand came up suddenly and clasped around my wrist. I gasped as his eyes shot open, glaring daggers at me.

"Bella? What are you doing here?" he asked, sleepily. I opened my mouth to answer but he cut me off, his tone instantly changing from sweet to sour. "Does your _husband_ know you're here?" he sneered.

I tried to rip my wrist out of his grasp but he tightened his hold and I cried out in pain. "Ah, Edward, you're hurting me!" I hissed.

Instantly, he let go and I scooted away from him, rubbing the spot where he'd held me.

_SHIT, he's strong…_

"I'm not married, you asshole! God!"

"Yeah, he told me you'd lie about it, too," Edward accused, his jaw tight with anger and hurt.

"Riley lied to you, Edward… he _lied_. He's very good at it, trust me."

I stared down at my wrist and wondered what would happen next when Edward gave me my answer. He was on top of me quicker than you can say, "Who's your daddy?" kissing my mouth desperately, and pulling my body into his. Surprisingly, his breath was minty fresh and I silently thanked Carlisle for getting him to brush his teeth.

But as quick as he had forgiven me, he was back on the defense just as fast, separating our bodies in an instant.

"Why didn't you tell me about him?" Edward demanded, glaring at me through bloodshot and obviously still drunk eyes.

"Well you didn't exactly give me the chance to tell you anything, running off without a word," I reasoned. When exactly was the conversation about exes supposed to happen anyway, when I was getting plowed by Cock-zilla?

He shook his head in disgust as if he hadn't been listening to a word I'd said. A chill ran up my spine at the look on his face.

"You're just like Tanya," he seethed, pointing his drunken finger at me. "In fact, I think you're _worse_ than her. At least with her I had some sort of idea that she _couldn't_ be trusted. But you…you made me think that you were all… _innocent_…what a fucking joke."

I gasped at his words, feeling like someone had just punched me in the chest. But he didn't stop in his tirade.

"How bout that interview now, _Isabella_? Are you gonna print what a good _fuck_ I was? Better yet, why don't you post it for all your friends on Facebook? Or is Twitter what you media whores use these days?" he finished. His head fell back on the pillow as if he could barely hold it up and he started laughing.

It disgusted me. He disgusted me.

This wasn't the Edward Masen I'd fallen for. This was his evil, shitty twin. And I hated him.

I jumped off the bed and snatched up my purse as the hot tears welled up in my eyes. I pushed them back and swallowed them down as I put my boots back on. I was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry over his sorry ass. I'd save that until I got home.

"Awww…what's the matter Isabella? Got nothing bitchy to say?" he teased. I had intended on just getting the hell out of there without saying anything, but if he wanted me to say something…buckle up, Masen.

I looked down at him where he lay on the bed with his arms folded behind his smug head, searching my brain for just the right snarky comeback. Unfortunately, I was too hurt to come up with one. Instead, I went with how I truly felt.

"You know what, Edward? I really liked you. More than I ever liked any guy. But obviously, I was wrong about you. You're not worth my time. You…are _nothing_ to me now," I lied, my voice cracking at the end. The smile on his face fell with those last five words. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off. "I'll have Alice contact you in the morning to set up your interview with someone else."

And with that, I turned on my heel and stalked out of the bedroom, slamming the door. Emmett was sitting on the couch, watching the news.

"Hey kid, so what's the verd-….Hey, what the hell happened in there?" he asked with concern, and getting up off the couch.

I hadn't realized until I sniffed, that the tears had come out on their own accord. I swiped them away quickly with the back of my hand.

"Emmett, it was nice meeting you again. Good luck in the future, and goodbye," I barely warbled out, as I continued on my path. He jumped in front of me and blocked my way.

"Bella…he's just drunk. Don't listen to anything he says right now. He's just talking out of his ass, whatever he said."

I shook my head. "He called me a whore, Emmett."

His mouth gaped open, then he mumbled something about fucking up Edward's other eye.

"Just forget it, okay? I knew that this was all too good to be true," I half-heartedly laughed, closing my eyes.

"No, I don't think-"

I held up a hand to stop him and I could hear Edward staggering down the hall behind us.

"Could you please just move out of the way so I can get the hell out of here?"

Emmett moved aside without another word and I bolted. Once I reached the elevators, I punched the down button feverishly, willing it to come quicker. It felt like a lifetime as I waited for the stupid thing.

Finally, it came and I stepped inside, bracing myself against the railing. As the doors slowly closed, I heard the door to Edward's place opening and Emmett barking words at him while Edward shouted my name.

_Come on, come on, come on…_ I chanted internally, wanting the damn doors to just close already. At last, they did and I was descending without another incident.

**X-X-X**

In the lobby of Edward's building, there was a different doorman waiting to greet me. He was very young looking, with short blonde hair and blue eyes. I'd not cried any further in the elevator, but I wasn't sure if my eyes gave anything away until the kid looked at me with concern.

"You okay, Miss?"

"Yeah, I'm fine," I lied, noticing his little gold nametag. 'Mike' it said. "Hey, Mike, could you do me a huge favor?" I purred hoping he'd fall for the bait.

Mike smiled immediately. Bait taken. "Sure. What can I do for you?"

I took a pen out of my bag and grabbed his hand, writing down the number I'd come to memorize over the last three days. "Could you make sure to call this number every hour on the hour? He's my uh…cousin and he hit his head earlier today. The doctor said he may have a concussion and I was supposed to do it, but I have to go out of town," I lied, seamlessly.

"Uh…" he replied, unsure. I needed to make this happen so I reached my hand up to touch his cheek.

"Pleeeeease?" I whined, pouting my lips.

His face flushed red and his breathing accelerated. "Sure, yeah, that's uh…no problem," he stuttered, grinning and blinking his baby blues at me. Mission accomplished.

"Thanks, Mike," I sang as I danced my way out into the cold night.

_Enjoy your wakeup calls, fucker!_

The paps were all gone when I reached the outside of the building and it suddenly dawned on me that I hadn't called a cab before leaving. _I knew I should've just driven my Jeep here, damn it._ I rarely ever brought it out of its parking spot since finding parking was a bitch and a half, and it was just easier to take a cab. Now I could just kick myself in the ass for not thinking of it.

It was a pretty well known street though and it didn't take long for me to hail one. My dad would shit a small farm animal if he knew that I'd walked a block in New York at two in the morning, by myself. It didn't matter that I had pepper spray in my purse. He would kick my ass if he knew, just the same.

When I finally reached the comfort of my living room, I was exhausted, but jumpy at the same time. Everything was crashing down around me. I had no interview to turn in, no prospect of having _anything_ with Edward, and nothing to keep me from biting all my fingernails off.

I wanted to cry and scream at the same time. How did this all get so fucked up in the first place? Oh right, Riley. Well, I would deal with that later. One asshole at a time. For now, I knew what I needed. I needed my mommy. Sure Renee was flighty and undependable, but she was a good listener and comforter. I could call her, but it wouldn't be the same. I needed lie in bed with her watching cheesy movies in our pajamas.

In no time at all, I had a small bag packed and ready to go. A small meow brought me out of my haze. I looked down to the ball of fur on my bed, watching me expectantly with his bright green eyes, furry tail swishing back and forth

"Felix," I sighed. "You're gonna have to hold down the fort for a few days. I'll text Auntie Alice to come feed you. No wild parties, Mister," I joked, scratching under his chin, just the way he loved it.

After filling up his food and water bowls, I clicked on the TV for him, not liking the idea of leaving him in a silent house for a long period of time. I locked up the place and headed downstairs to my Jeep. It felt almost therapeutic to be getting away from the madness for a while as the engine roared to life.

Sure, it was three thirty in the morning and I had a sixteen hour drive ahead of me, but I could stop somewhere and sleep if I got tired.

About eight hours later, I'd gotten all the way down to Richmond Virginia before I'd started to fade, my eyelids fluttering, and had to pull over and sleep in the backseat. I shot off a text to Alice, letting her know I needed her help with one thing.

**Going down to see my mom for awhile. I know I'm probably going to get fired anyway seeing as I have NO story to give James. Can you please feed and check on Felix while I'm gone? Not sure when I'm coming back. Thanks.**

Alice had the extra set of keys to my place, and at the moment all I could think about was sleep. My phone pinged, notifying me of Alice's reply.

**Uh oh…Why are you going to Renee's? Are you okay? And you're not going to get fired. I'll handle James.**

I thought about what I should and shouldn't tell her. If I said anything about Edward, she'd just call me and want to talk about it, and at the moment I was just too fucking tired.

**I'm thinking about becoming Lesbian. Does that answer your second question? Thanks for handling James. I'll call you when I get to my mom's house.**

With that, I shut off my phone and passed out. Some time later, I was startled awake by the sound of someone's car alarm going off. Rubbing my eyes, I turned my phone back on to find one missed call from Alice, and eleven from Edward.

I rolled my eyes and checked my texts. The first one was from Alice.

**YOU BETTER CALL ME AS SOON AS YOU TURN YOUR DAMN PHONE BACK ON!**

I couldn't help but laugh at her exasperation as I typed my response.

**Keep your hair on, Brandon. I needed to get some zzzz so that I didn't crash the Jeep. And what's with all the SHOUTY CAPTIALS?**

Then I saw that there was a single text from Edward.

**We need to talk.**

I was pissed. What the fuck else did we need to talk about?

**Um, no thanks. I'm done listening to you. Fuck you, and your couch. And while you're doing that, lose my number. **

Alice hadn't answered me back, but Edward replied instantly.

**Fuck my couch? :\**

I should have just turned the phone back off. Or better yet, not answered his text at all. But nooooooooo. I had to keep going.

**It's a phrase. By Dave Chappelle. You can Google it. It basically means that I hate you. I thought we covered this last night. Leave me alone, Bastard.**

Alice still hadn't answered me and I was about to call her when another text from Edward came in.

**I was drunk, Bella. And pissed off. Carlisle and Em explained everything to me this morning. Can we please just talk? Call me.**

Completely frustrated, I punched the seat repeatedly.

**NO! You can't just use the "I was drunk" card to erase the horrible things you said to me last night. I don't know what Tanya was like, but I can assure you that I am not and have NEVER been a WHORE. So, like I said, fuck off.**

_There. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it, Masen._

I laid my head back and scrubbed my hand over my eyelids, trying to wake up further.

Still waiting for Alice's reply, I answered the next call without looking at the ID.

"Alice, what the hell is going on? Your text was pretty rude…"

"Bella, would you just talk to me?" Edward pleaded.

"Shit," I cursed, ending the call and turning the phone back off. If I kept this shit up, I never make it to Jacksonville before nightfall. Yeah I could have just saved a butt-load of time by taking the two-and-a-half hour flight there instead of a sixteen hour drive, but you remember how well I do on planes, right? Right, so get off my ass, then.

I climbed back into the front seat and started up the Jeep. After filling up the gas tank, I got back on the road, so unbelievably ready to see my mom. I didn't even need to call her to let her know I was coming. She was always home, and even if she wasn't, I had a key.

Eight or so hours later, I pulled into the driveway of my mom and Phil's two-story stucco house and noticed that all the lights were on in the house. It was late and the house was lit up like a fucking Christmas tree.

_What the fuck is going on? They should be in bed by now._

I bristled off the weirdness and jumped out of the Jeep with my bags in tow. Before I could even knock, the front door swung open. There stood the older, prettier version of me, her green eyes warming my bones.

"Bella, Baby!" Renee beamed, swooping me up into a hug that immediately caused me to start crying. God damn it, why couldn't I stop fucking crying already? I was exhausted and sad, no doubt, but still. "Baby, what's wrong?"

Shaking my head, I lied, "Nothing, Mom, just tired from the drive, that's all." I'd tell her all the gory details later. For now, I just wanted to go pee and get into my pajamas and spend some time with her.

"Well, in that case, you have some explaining to do, young lady." She pulled back and looked at me expectantly.

"Huh?"

"Isabella Marie Swan, why didn't you call me and tell me you were dating _Edward Masen?"_

_Oh for Christ's sake, fucking Alice._ I should've known that she would call my mom and say something. "Mom, whatever Alice told you-"

"_Not Alice…"_ my mom sang, opening the front door nice and wide so that I could see the six-foot-two, bronzed-haired, asshole Adonis, standing behind it.

Edward was there.

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**A/N: Awwww...Edward surprised her by showing up at her Mom's house...uh, after he called her a whore... sort of. Well, this could be very good or very bad for Edward. Do you think Bella will let him off the hook easily? Yeah fucking right. Don't you know this Bella by now? Oh, you are so in for it, Mister. Get on your knees...NOW! Lol**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: **SM owns all the Twilight characters and all that lot, not I.

**A/N: Well, lookee here. I updated pretty quickly this time, yes? It's mostly backstory for this chapter but I think you will enjoy it. I don't have an outline for this story like I usually do, so hopefully I don't screw the whole thing up by forgetting to add something. I'm kind of going into it with the mindset of how it is when you start a new relationship and you know nothing about the guy. You find things out as you go along. Hope it doesn't suck. P.S. I just realized I forgot to give the last chapter a name. I fixed it if you're interested.**

**Right, so...what the fuck DID Tanya do to Edward? You're about to find out. See you at the bottom.**

* * *

**Chapter Song:** Warning Sign - Coldplay

* * *

**Chapter 6 – Showdown at the Dwyer Corral and Late Night Bedtime Stories**

At first I thought the long ass drive was causing me to hallucinate. My eyes were already burning like hell from trying to focus on the road for so long.

I blinked a couple times, but each time I saw the same thing. Edward.

He stared back at me with a sheepish expression on his face as he put his arm up to lean against the door. I was still mad as shit, but fuck if he didn't look like sex on legs with his broad shoulders and tall, lean, muscular form. I glanced over to my mother who was looking at him dreamily, the same way as I was.

_Yeah, Mom. Tell me about it._

Suddenly the February night sky started to open up and the rain drops sprinkled down on me. It was definitely chilly outside, but I stood frozen in place. Here I was, miles from home with a famously sexy guitar god in my mother's house. I blinked a few more times. _What reality would this ever happen in?_ Surely I was dreaming.

"Baby, what are you still doing outside?" Edward asked, pulling my small bags from my hands and ushering me inside the door. My feet moved forward, but my mind was still outside on the porch. _Did he just call me Baby?_

As my mom closed the door behind me, I stared at the pictures hanging in the hallway by the stairs. _God, I hope Edward didn't look at any of those._ They were all from when I was a kid and my awkward teenage years. _Shit. I bet she showed him my baby pictures too_. I groaned at the thought and heard Edward clear his throat behind me. When I turned to look at him, I noticed a twinkle in his eyes.

Finally my brain and my mouth started working again.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I hissed to Edward.

"You wouldn't talk to me on the phone, so…"

"Bella," my mom cut in. "I hear you're being stubborn as usual. You know, you're just like your father. This nice young man flew all the way down here just to talk to you, and here you are, kicking him in the balls."

My jaw dropped as I gaped at her.

_What the…now my mom's on __**his**__ side?_

_Oh, this is some bullshit right here._

I looked back to Edward to see him hiding a smirk, looking down at my bags in his hands.

_You want to play, Masen? Okay. Let's play._

"Yeah, Mom. I guess I am stubborn. _Whores_ usually are, right?" I asked, smirking sarcastically at Edward. He groaned and looked up at the ceiling while my mom gasped.

"Edward Masen. Did you call my daughter a whore?" she asked, hands on her hips.

Putting the bags down on the ground, he gulped and shoved his hands into his jean pockets while I folded my arms across my chest. I couldn't wait to hear him bullshit his way out of this one.

_Heh, heh_. _Squirm, bitch._

I raised an eyebrow at him when he hesitated and lifted one hand out of his pocket to rub the back of his neck nervously.

"Um…I was really, _really_ drunk Mrs. Dwyer. And I was extremely upset with her for um… a misunderstanding about… _Riley_." He'd said that last part through his teeth. "I uh…don't really remember saying it, but Bella says I said some really mean, hurtful stuff to her. I tried talking to her today, but as I told you earlier, she wouldn't answer my calls and so I came here…"

And just how the hell did he know where my mom lived, anyway?..._Alice. God damn it. Fucking traitor._

"Hmm," my mom started. "Well…at least you're being honest about it. Besides, everyone knows that you don't argue with someone when they're drunk," she defended him. "And I think it's so sweet that you came here to apologize. But, you're lucky her father doesn't know about this. Charlie'd shove his steel-toe boot straight up your ass, that's for sure." She smiled and playfully smacked his arm.

_Yeah, Charlie would pull out his gun and…wait. Back the fucking truck up. That was it? _He just admitted to calling me a whore…well sort of, and that's all my mom could say?_ That was fucking it? Seriously?_

With that she turned and hugged me. "Just give him a chance, honey. You should've seen him earlier, he was a mess," she whispered in my ear. I rolled my eyes and huffed out a breath. I really was completely exhausted, both mentally and physically, but I just couldn't believe that she was letting him off the hook so damn easily. Obviously he had charmed the shit out of her before I got there. My mom was easily dazzled by a pretty face, and against the likes of Edward Masen…yeah, she stood no chance. Surely Phil would be on my side, right?

After pulling away, she announced that she was going to bed where my stepdad - Phil, was already snoring away. She had two extra bedrooms upstairs, but one was her craft room and had no bed, let alone floor space, and the other was Phil's game room which was wall to wall pinball machines and even a skee-ball set-up. So, I took my usual bed downstairs in the basement. The basement was warm, roomy and carpeted and had a bar area and a huge TV so I was always cool with that. It was Phil's "Man Cave" which doubled as a storm shelter during hurricane season. Phil had been assistant-coaching for the Jacksonville Suns – a minor league team – for the last three years, ever since he blew out his knee and couldn't play anymore. He was a cool guy, and although he was like six years younger than my mom and that fact always bugged me, Phil was my buddy and my ally against my mom when I sometimes needed one.

My mom finally went upstairs and left me standing in the living room with Edward. He picked up my bags again but then dropped them on the couch to come stand in front of me. As soon as he touched my hands with his, I felt like some imaginary, invisible string was pulling me to him. He took my hands in his and I stared at them, unable to speak while I chewed on my bottom lip.

"Bella, please," he pleaded. "We really need to talk about this. What else did I say last night?"

_Did he really not remember?_ How was that even possible? I'd been pretty drunk before and I _always_ remembered everything. It just didn't seem possible that he could forget treating me that way. No. I wouldn't let him off that easily. Not a fucking chance.

I turned my head up to look at him, but I wished I hadn't done that because seeing how gorgeous he was only made me want to cave.

"I really need sleep," I stuttered, trying not to get lost in his deep green irises.

Sighing, he nodded and slowly dropped my hands to pick up my bags, along with one in the kitchen that I hadn't seen at first. I assumed it was his, but I didn't understand why he would want to stay in my mom's simple little house and not in some four-star hotel downtown. Too tired to argue, I led him down the stairs to the basement and he set my bags down next to the humungous cream-colored leather sofa.

"No bed?" he asked from behind me, startling me slightly.

Wordlessly, I walked over to one of the walls that looked like wooden closet doors, opened them, and pulled down a handle. It was one of those Hide-a-bed things. Phil found it at IKEA and thought it was the coolest shit since sliced bread. My mom liked whatever he liked, so it worked out nicely. After setting up the bed, I went to one of the cupboards and pulled out the pillows and blankets. I put half the pillows on the bed and half on the floor, and did the same with the blankets.

"Bella, are you gonna ignore me forever?"

I gave him his answer by taking one of my bags into the bathroom by the bar, then slamming the door shut behind me and locking it. As the hot water of the shower pummeled my skin, I thought about what he'd said to my mom and what she'd said in return. Yes, he had been honest with her, but he still hadn't apologized to me or explained why he went off on me like that. Not that I'd given him a chance to explain…

_Shit._

My thoughts drifted to how good he looked and smelled. He was wearing another t-shirt and flannel combo, but damn did he make it look good. I shook off the thought and turned off the water. After changing into some pink lace panties, grey yoga pants and a pink camisole tank top, I brushed my teeth and blow dried my hair, making sure to take an extra long time so he could sweat it out and I could come up with a game plan.

I wanted to forgive him for being an ass, but really, why the hell would he say that I was _worse_ than Tanya Denali? From what I'd read about her, she was Hollywood's sweetheart and every director wanted her for their movies. Sure, she had a bit of a reputation for going out to clubs frequently, but a ton of starlets her age were doing the very same. What the hell did she do to Edward anyway? I thought back to what he'd said to me last night.

"_At least with her I had some sort of idea that she couldn't be trusted,"_ he'd said.

"_But you…you made me think that you were all… innocent."_

Ok, clearly I could see now that he'd said that out of pure hurt and anger because of whatever she'd done to him. Then I remembered how he finished stabbing the knife in my chest so to speak.

"_How bout that interview now, Isabella? Are you gonna print what a good fuck I was?"_

"_Better yet, why don't you post it for all your friends on Facebook? Or is Twitter what you media __**whores**__ use these days?"_

And now I was back to being pissed as hell again. What gave him the right to call me a media whore? I didn't even have a stupid Facebook or Twitter account, thank you very much, shit-head. Sure, Jake had been pestering me for months to get one of both, but I just didn't understand why he couldn't just call or text me if he wanted to talk. I guess I was like my dad in that way as well, because even my _mom_ had a Facebook account and I didn't. Besides, I didn't really have time for that shit anyway. Ok, that's a lie.

I closed my eyes and recalled the way Edward had looked at me with disgust the night before, shaking his head like I was a piece of dog shit on his four-hundred-dollar shoes. And the way he laughed at me like I was some ridiculous girl. Like I was just a notch in his belt.

_Toughen up, Bella. He made you feel foolish, remember?Do not let him see you falter. He can apologize until the damn sun comes up, but we do not care. We do not care. We DO NOT CARE._

_Right._

After lotioning up my skin and fingering some foofoo-smelling anti-frizz gunk through my long brown locks, I took a deep breath and opened the bathroom door to find a shirtless Edward lying under the covers on one side of the bed, watching Family Guy re-runs on the TV. He looked over to me and smiled shyly.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What the hell are you doing in the bed?"

He looked confused. "Where else am I supposed to sleep?"

"On the floor, genius. That's why I threw the other blankets and shit down there. Now get out of my bed."

"You're kidding me, right?"

Man, he was not wearing a shirt and his chest was all muscular... So unfair, I tell you.

"Does it look like I'm kidding, Masen? Sleep on the stupid sofa if you can't handle the floor."

"I'm not sleeping on the floor or the sofa, Bella. I'm staying right here so stop being such a brat and get over here," he said firmly.

_Brat? BRAT? I'll show you a brat._

"Aww…what's the matter? Mr. famous widdle rock star is too good to sleep on a sofa?" I teased.

"No," he scowled. "But I'm already comfortable here," he argued.

"I don't care. Get out of the bed. Now."

"No!" He crossed his arms over his chest like a petulant child.

We eyeballed each other for a long time, each waiting for the other so say something.

Finally, I clenched my eyes shut and huffed out a breath. "Fine. Have it your way. But don't touch me or you get sterilized."

With that I walked over to the other side of the bed, slowly pulled down my yoga pants leaving me only in my skimpy pink panties and camisole. I let Edward take in the view while he tried to pretend like he wasn't looking and climbed under the covers. As soon as Edward lay down all the way and closed his eyes, I put my feet against his hip and my arms against his shoulder. With one good shove, I was able to toss him off the side of the bed. He hit the ground below with a loud thud. It actually sounded like it may have hurt and I felt bad.

I scooted to the middle of the bed and bit down on my bottom lip, waiting to see what he'd say. It didn't take long for him to sit up and gape at me in shock. I tried to give him my best scowl but the appalled look on his face was so damn funny that I busted up laughing. Edward started laughing too and soon we were both cracking up hysterically.

"God, Bella," he laughed. "That is exactly why I love you."

He was still laughing and looking at the wall, but I stopped moving and breathing. My heart thudded in my chest. I wasn't sure if I'd heard him right, and I didn't want to make a big deal out of it if I hadn't. He took a pillow that was still on the ground and lay down on it, so I inched over to the edge of the bed where I could look down at him. He looked up at me with those big green eyes and frowned.

"Could you please just tell me," he begged. "What did I _say_ to you last night? I need you to tell me."

I took a deep breath and rolled back over onto my back, looked up to the ceiling and gave him all the details of our conversation that night. He groaned when I got to the last part and called himself a fucking idiot.

"So now you know," I started. "How bout _you_ tell _me _what happened after you left my bed five days ago?"

He puffed out a breath and began. "I was about to make us some breakfast…or lunch… Did you know that you sleep like the dead?...Anyway, your…ex whatever he is, showed up and surprised the shit out of me when he just _came right in_. It was a good thing I'd put my underwear back on." I had to laugh at the thought of Riley walking into my place and finding not only _Edward Masen_ in my kitchen, but a _naked_ Edward Masen on top of that. Ah well, too bad.

"And he told you he was my husband?"

"Yeah, when I asked him who the hell he was and why I'd never heard of him from you before. He said you'd lie about it if I asked you, and that you were just sleeping with me to get even with him for kissing some girl at your work."

I shot up in bed and looked down at Edward. "He said that?" Edward nodded. "Ugh. Fucking lying bastard…" Pulling my knees up to my chest, I explained, "First of all, we were _never_ married. We lived together but that's it. And he didn't just _kiss_ Victoria. He screwed her… repeatedly – one time in my bed, or the one time that I saw, anyway."

"Shit," Edward said, reaching up to touch my lower back. The only part of me he could reach. Surprisingly, I let him. "Does he work at the magazine too?" I shook my head. "Well, how did you meet him, then?" he asked, switching gears.

_Oh God. What would he think about that pathetic little story?_ Sighing, I began to tell the stupid sorry tale.

"I met Riley in high school and I was just kind of obsessed with him. Every girl at school wanted to date him and he seemed like a good guy." I had to laugh at just how ironic it was to know the truth now. "He was the most popular guy in school and I followed him all around campus, but he never gave me the time of day and I never had the balls to say anything to him. I was so painfully shy."

"You? Shy? I find that hard to believe," he joked.

"Shut up, Edward," I laughed. "So, when graduation came we finally bumped into each other at a party that night. I was drunk and finally had the guts to talk to him. I asked him what college he was going to be attending and he said 'NYU'. Then he asked me where I was going and stupidly I blurted out the same school. He flirted with me a lot that night, and like a stupid ass, I changed my whole plan up from going to school at Stanford to going to NYU and I…followed him to New York."

"How'd you get into the school so fast?"

"I didn't," I laughed. "I had to wait a whole year to get in, even with my 4.2 GPA. But I pestered the Dean to death and then…well, that's another story for another day, but once I got in, I loved it. Anyway, somehow I got up the nerve to ask Riley out, but he turned me down because was seeing some dumb Italian bimbo from one of his classes. So… I gave up and just followed him around school, watching him with that girl, and I really don't know why I'm telling you all this…"

"No, don't stop. I want to hear it," he said, rubbing my back gently.

I puffed out some air through my cheeks. This next part was kind of hard to tell because it was a little embarrassing to admit. "Um…I managed to find ways to bump into him accidently and at least try to be friends and the next year, he threw this party at his apartment that he shared with like two other guys. And…since _he_ invited _me_, I got all dressed up in this sexy, red dress and ridiculously high black heels thinking that if I could just get him to look at me like…a sex object…anyway, it worked. He finally noticed me _like that _and ditched the girl to come talk to me. The next thing I knew, we were…you know."

"Ugh."

"Hey," I laughed again. "You said you wanted to hear it. So… we started dating and everything seemed perfect, but I found out a year later that he'd never even broken up with that girl, he'd just ditched her. And at the time, it bothered me, but not enough to dump him over it. Looking back now though, I should've seen what he was. For all I know he could've been doing her too. In fact, he was probably banging all kinds of broads behind my back."

"And… you guys moved in together?"

"Yeah, after we'd been dating for like two years. It was his idea actually. He asked me to move in with him right after I got an internship job at Rolling Stone." I had to laugh at the side story there. "Alice got me the job when we bumped into each other at a local grocery store and we were both holding a show flyer for the same band. We got to talking right away and well…the rest is history as they say."

"Did you… love him?"

"I thought I did, I mean he was my… first…so yeah… I did."

Edward grimaced a little bit, but didn't say anything shitty.

"Your turn," I changed the subject, looking down at him. "I want to know what happened with you and Tanya."

His hand left my back and he clenched his eyes shut tightly.

"I met her at a movie premiere before I became…well known. She didn't really have much to say to me other than the fact that she'd never heard my music. I thought she was really pretty, but kind of stuck up I guess. When my manager told her I was the next big thing, she started flirting with me relentlessly, and I was just…flattered. No one knew my name yet and girls didn't really come up and talk to me like they do now."

I scoffed at that. I couldn't imagine Edward Masen not getting hit on left and right.

Narrowing his eyes at me, he continued. "Then I didn't see her again until the next year after my first record went platinum and I'd just come back from a concert tour and moved into a new house in L.A," he continued.

I moved to lye down on my side, propping my head up with my hand, looking down at him as he took a deep breath and spoke again.

"After I got back from the tour, she was calling me nonstop, saying that we should go out. I'd heard rumors about her being a party girl and being _friendly_ with her costars, and Emmett hated her so I hesitated for a long time. But…after a while I finally gave in and went out with her. The next thing I knew, pictures of us together were plastered all over the covers of every magazine. They made up all kinds of crazy stories, and it was kind funny until one of them said we were married and that Tanya was pregnant."

Yeah, I remembered wanting to rip that magazine in half in the middle of the grocery store when I'd seen it a few years ago. I really don't know what came over me that day.

"It was bullshit, of course, but that was a hard one to explain to my mom," he laughed. "Anyway, we dated for a long time and I tried to stop looking at the magazines. The more time I spent with Tanya the more I really liked her and I thought…I was in love with her…I guess."

_Jeez, and I wanted to hear this part? Damn._

"I didn't really have time for a girlfriend with all the studio work and press shit," he continued. "But I tried really fucking hard to spend as much time with her as I could. She never complained either so I had no idea if she was unhappy or not. In fact, she even made a point to make sure I never missed a photo shoot, music gig or talk show appearance." He shook his head.

"So she was supportive of your career? What's so bad about that?" I asked, not really understanding.

He rolled over to his side and looked up at me. "That's exactly what I thought too. Until I overheard a conversation she was having when she thought I was in the shower."

My stomach plummetted.

"What did she say?"

"I thought she was talking about plans for my birthday that night, but she was… telling this guy about how she was only with me for publicity because it made her more popular in Hollywood and that once she got enough notoriety, she would dump me and start seeing him publicly."

That must've been the reason I'd seen all those tabloid pictures of Edward drunk at a pub in Hollywood. They'd said he was celebrating his twenty-fourth birthday with a bottle of Jack Daniels and a chip on his shoulder. Now I knew why he'd looked so sad on his birthday. Tanya had fucked him over in the worst way. That dirty, conniving, evil little…

"What a fucking bitch!" I hissed.

"That's not the worst part," he continued. "The guy who she was talking to was my manager Laurent. My old manager before I fired him, anyway. They were making out in my kitchen while I was supposed to be taking a shower." He gulped and closed his eyes, a painful scowl on his face. "Apparently they'd been seeing each other for who knew how long while I was off traveling." He scrubbed the heels of his palms over his eyes, groaning. "I always had a feeling that she was fake, but still I felt like such an ignorant jackass for not seeing the signs of just how evil she really was, you know?"

Yeah. I knew exactly what he meant.

I reached my hand down and traced my fingertips across his frowning forehead, moving some of his wayward bronze locks out of the way. For a good minute he closed his eyes and let me run my fingers through his hair.

"That's horrible, Edward. I could never…I would _never_ do that to you," I told him. I don't know why I was telling him that when we were nowhere near any type of relationship status, but I felt it needed to be said.

He reached a hand up to touch mine at his forehead as he gazed at me. "I know. And I'm so sorry for everything I said last night. I wish I could take it all back, but just know that I'll never forgive myself for hurting you like that."

Slowly I moved my hand from his head to his hand, clasping it in mine. He smiled sadly at me and it broke my heart.

So it seemed that we were sort of in the same boat. Both betrayed by the ones we thought we loved and both looking for someone to take away that hurt. Still, I had that tiny part of my brain that was skeptical and doubtful – the part that Riley had ruined for me, possibly forever.

"Edward?"

"Yeah?"

"If you're lying about all that shit, and I find out…I'll have my dad cut your balls off and stuff them so I can use them for batting practice."

He snorted a laugh and smiled. "Well then aside from your coffee tirades, my balls are completely safe because unfortunately it's all true. You can ask Carlisle and Emmett if you don't believe me. They were there to pick up the mess." He shuddered at that thought.

"I want to believe you. It's just that… I have some major trust issues after what I went through with Riley. When everything you think about someone turns out to be a complete lie, you have a hard time trusting anyone again."

"Yeah, tell me about it," he laughed.

I tugged on his hand and he eyed me suspiciously.

"Come on. Get up here before I change my mind," I smirked.

He hesitated for a second before he finally complied. I tried really hard not to watch his bare chest and the way his boxer briefs hung off his hips as he climbed under the covers with me. We lay beside each other in awkward silence for a bit, staring up at the ceiling until I finally spoke up.

"So…what now?"

"If I unconsciously spoon you in my sleep, are you going to _sterilize_ me?" he asked.

I couldn't help but giggle. "No, but that's not what I meant."

He turned to his side and propped his head up with his hand. "Well…could I take you out? Maybe tomorrow night? I still owe you a date after all."

"Um…how long are you staying here, exactly? I mean…don't you have shit to do back in New York?"

"Are you _still_ trying to get rid of me?" he asked, nervously frowning at me.

"No, not anymore," I blushed. Damn he was cute when he frowned. "I just didn't really know what your plans were…" I trailed off. Shit. Now I was the nervous one. How did he turn the tables on me so quickly?

"Carlisle says I need to lay low for a bit anyway until that shit I pulled blows over, plus I don't have any more shows until next week, and Emmett's off visiting family so… looks like you're stuck with me for a little while. And like I said, I owe you a date _and_ an interview."

"Fuck the interview. Someone else can do it," I countered. "But… you can take me on a date…if you really want to…"

He smirked at me and damn if my blushing didn't kick up like four or five notches.

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"The last few days have been pure hell," he said softly, looking deeply into my eyes. "I really fucking missed you."

The butterflies in my stomach went nuts. My heart thudded in my chest and my ears got hot. Edward's eyes were so sincere and instead of telling him how much I missed him as well, I showed him. Reaching up with my hand and wrapping it around his neck, I pulled him to me, kissing him with everything I had in me. His lips were so soft and warm and he hummed against my lips as if tasting the sweetest treat on Earth. He was gentle at first, as if he was at war with himself as to how much he could let himself go. I understood that fear.

The thing that scared me most about Edward Masen – besides his reputation – was the fact that I felt more for him in just a week, than I'd ever felt for Riley in all the years I'd known him. And yes I'd dated a few guys briefly after Riley - _and when I say briefly, I mean one date each, with no sex_, so I knew Edward was no rebound. But the fact that I knew nothing about him, just like I'd known nothing about Riley, scared me even more.

Still, I felt like something was right about us. Like maybe somehow it could work out. Was there some handbook on dating a famous musician? _'Dating a Guitar Sex God for Dummies'?_ Yeah, probably not.

_Wait…are we dating now or is this just…what is this exactly?_

_This is crazy. He's famous for Christ's sake, and you're…not._

_He did say he was taking me out on a date…that's dating, right?_

_Man he's a good kisser. Shit!_

Edward pulled back from the kiss and pulled me into his chest, tucking my head into his neck and stroking my arm. We stayed like that for a few minutes until my eyelids fluttered and I finally succumbed to some much needed sleep. One last thought flitted through my mind as I drifted off.

_I'm in bed with Edward Masen… and I'm falling asleep? What is wrong with me?_

Really. What was wrong with me?

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**A/N: Ah, she's just tired from the sixteen hour drive. I've driven seven hours straight before and trust me, it makes your eyes cross and takes a while to recover. Ok, so are we all in love with Edward again? And do we really fucking hate Tanya with a passion? Hit me up with a review and let me know. **


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer:** SM owns Twilight. Nuff said.

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**A/N: Oh man, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS! Yes, I know I pumped you for them, but so what? ****I read and cherish them all. They make me laugh and spark my creative mind. Keep em coming! :D**

**You know what I'm in the mood for? Lemonade! ;D ... Oh and M&M's... *snickers***

**BTW, I updated my photobucket account with some new pics for this story. There's pics of Edward's NYC apartment, Bella's brownstone, and Renee's Jacksonville house. Also, there's a funny pic of Drunkward with is blackening eye from the night that was displayed on TMZ. Lol. Link is below:**

**http:/s1127 . photobucket . com/albums/l625/queenbeee78/I%20Was%20Broken/**

**P.S. I changed the names of the celebs that appear in this story. I don't want anyone getting mad at me and reporting me, cuz then this story would get pulled by THE MAN. And we don't want that to happen do we? So...from here on out, the names will be slightly changed, but I'm sure you can figure out who it is... ;D**

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**Chapter Song:** Loving the Alien – Velvet Revolver

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**Chapter 7 – Midnight Delights and Joe Pesci Threats**

Sometime later in the middle of the night, I awoke with a start. The dream I'd just had was the cause of my frantic heartbeat. Warm arms surrounded me and the sound of Edward's even breathing was the only noise that could be heard. The neon _'Corona'_ sign at the bar across from the bed illuminated the room in a soft yellow and blue glow. I turned my head and gazed down at the sleeping god who lay on my chest.

Jeez, he was beautiful, even in this light. I stared at the strong lines of his jaw and the way the light from the bar reflected off of it. My eyes drifted to his long dark lashes where they kissed the top of his cheekbone and then down to his muscular bicep where it held my waist securely.

I seemed to still be in full-blown panic attack mode. My thoughts were now a jumble of things, but mostly I thought of our conversation a few hours earlier. I always knew it was so pathetic the way I had followed Riley to New York. Who fucking does that? Seriously. It just wasn't something a girl like me would do. Sure, Riley was hot and all, but really.

And I've always been so ashamed of myself for it that I never told anyone – not my mom, definitely not Charlie, and not Alice either. Edward was the first person I'd ever shared that with.

Fuck. He probably thinks I'm crazy or something.

"Bella, what's wrong?" he murmured sleepily.

I gasped because I had thought he was in a deep peaceful sleep.

"I uh…you're awake?" I stuttered.

The corners of his mouth twitched with a smile but he kept his eyes closed. "I _was_ until you started thrashing around and talking about wolves and ugly Raggedy-Ann doll bitches," he laughed. "Not only do you sleep like the dead, but you talk in your sleep," he chuckled in amazement. "Carlisle said it was pretty funny, but I think it's _fascinating_."

"Oh," I whispered quietly.

I didn't really remember my dream in detail, but I knew who was in it, and what had happened in it…well sort of. You know how sometimes you dream about something and none of it makes sense, but you're so damn sure that it's real when you're having it, and it scares the ever-loving shit out of you? Well, there you go.

"Hey," Edward said, raising his head from the pillow to look down at me with concern. "Are you alright? Your heart's still going a hundred miles an hour." He gently grabbed my chin. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I…just had a bad dream."

"What was it about?"

"Um…I don't know," my voice cracked, on the verge of tears. Fuck! I was about to cry again? "It was nothing, go back to sleep."

"Bella, it wasn't _'nothing'_ if it's got you all upset like this."

He stroked the wayward hairs away from my face, comforting me. Once again, I was powerless to try and keep any information from him.

"I dreamed that I was back in High School…with Riley. Except this time I was _dating _him instead of just watching him from afar…and then Victoria showed up there and he just walked off with her while she laughed at me. And then I started crying and you showed up, but…you were laughing at me too and then you just… _left_ with a bunch of skanky girls." Fuck, I could barely say it out loud since the sickening images still played through my mind. "I know it's stupid, just…just forget it," I laughed. Well, I tried to laugh it off, at least.

God, he was probably going to think I still had feelings for Riley or something since I said I dreamed about him. I sure as _hell_ did not have any feelings for Riley Biers anymore. In fact, that first part of the dream with Riley in it wasn't what bothered me at all. It was the part with Edward and the way he looked at me in the dream that broke me. It was that same look he'd given me the other night – the disgusted look, and that stupid fucking arrogant laugh. If I ever heard him laugh like that at me again, I'd have to smack the aftershave off his face.

You'd think I'd feel angry after having a dream like that, but instead I just felt…low.

I'd never really considered myself to be insecure. I wouldn't say I looked like a supermodel either, but I would say that I have sex appeal. I've learned how to flirt over the years, and I know that guys look at me at times. But being around Edward and his otherworldly looks is enough to make any girl have a slight complex, no?

So, after that dream, I guess I'd felt…rejected? I didn't really know what word to put on it, but I knew I didn't like how it felt. It scared the shit out of me. But, I told you that already, didn't I?

"I get it," Edward said. "You're scared."

"What are you talking about?" I feigned ignorance. Jesus, how did he know?

"Bella, you're just scared of getting hurt again. It's okay to admit it. I'm scared too. I know you wouldn't do what Tanya did to me, but there's still other ways that this could end badly. And…at some point, you're just gonna have to jump in head first and trust me."

"Pft. I'm not scared of anything," I lied, trying to sound confident when I was anything but. Why couldn't I just admit it? He'd admitted to being scared. Why couldn't I?

Edward chuckled and dipped his head down to put his lips on my neck as his hand trailed up my thigh, making me shudder.

"Mmm…you…are a horrible liar…and you're so stubborn," he hummed along my neck, his stubble tickling me. "You know what my favorite candy is, Bella?"

My brain struggled to put a thought together and my breath caught in my throat as he placed open mouth kisses on the sweet spot behind my ear. His hand continued its way up my thigh and just under the hem of my camisole.

"What?" I whispered.

"M&M's…" he murmured between kisses. "They're just like you…hard on the outside…soft and sweet on the inside…" he hummed before he sucked the tip of my earlobe into his warm mouth.

I moaned and his calloused finger tips dragged under my camisole and up the skin along my ribs until they made their way to the flesh around my nipple and his knee began to push my legs apart.

"Um…uh huh…" I stuttered and he chuckled against my neck.

"You know how I like to eat my M&M's, Baby?" he purred.

"H-how?"

"I lick the hard shell off first," he said as he sat up a bit and licked a slow trail from my neck to the skin between my breasts while his hand trailed down to the heat between my legs.

"_Oh, God_," I moaned, my hands coming up to tangle into his soft, messy hair.

Edward used his other hand to move the neckline of my tank top down below my breasts. He licked and sucked them ever so slowly while his long talented fingers played my heated flesh like a finely tuned instrument. Just when it was getting to be almost too much, he stopped and moved his head up to brush his lips over mine.

"And after the hard shell is gone…" he whispered over my lips. "…I enjoy the sweetness inside as it melts in my mouth."

Jesus tap-dancing Christ, I would never look at a bag of M&M's again without blushing.

He moved himself directly over me and pulled my hands from his hair to raise them above my head as he devoured my mouth with his luscious lips and skilled tongue. His hips pushed against mine as he pinned me to the bed while we tasted each other's mouths, making out like teenagers for what felt like forever while he palmed my breasts and bucked his hips against me, rubbing me right…there. He was hard as titanium.

I could feel cock-zilla straining against his boxer briefs, waiting to be unleashed and I wondered how much longer he would keep this sweet torment up.

My answer came when he gripped both of my wrists above my head with one of his large hands and slowly pulled my camisole up above my head, leaving it just around my wrists like some sort of restraint. He moved his hands down to my lace panties, dragging them down each hip, one side at a time, his eyes never leaving mine. Once they were off, he tossed them over his shoulder and smirked at me.

He lowered his head and sucked my bottom lip into his while he removed his boxer briefs. After his hot chest touched mine, he ground his hips into me and I felt the warm tip at my entrance. Suddenly he stopped and groaned in frustration.

"What's wrong?" I whispered.

"We have to stop," he said sadly, backing away from my body. It was like getting your favorite taken away, and I pouted.

"Are you fucking with me?"

"Bella…I packed in a hurry and I…I didn't think we would…ah fuck. I didn't bring any condoms."

_Well…shit_. Um…I guess this was a good a time as any to start… trusting?

"Edward, I um…I've been on birth control for the last…like forever," I mumbled. "I get a shot every three months and I always used a condom with Riley. I'm clean, but…you…I don't…"

Riley had always insisted on using a condom just in case. He was paranoid as hell that I'd get knocked up and his life would be over. We even had a huge fight once because my period was two freaking days late and he damn near had a nervous breakdown.

Edward let out a relieved breath. "I got tested after I broke up with Tanya. I mean, we always used a condom too, but still… and I haven't been with anyone since…I'm clean too, but…"

"Okay," I agreed after a few seconds of consideration, pulling him down to me again with my legs since my arms were still restrained.

"Bella, we don't have to."

You'd think I'd be having thoughts of doubt about going bareback with a _supposed_ man-whore like Edward Masen. I'd seen only a couple of tabloid pictures of him out with different women, but he'd said he'd not been_ with_ anyone since Tanya and that he was clean and free of disease, so… I believed him. I trusted him.

I didn't have to trust him, but somehow I did, where that was concerned. Maybe it was crazy or stupid of me, but he just didn't seem like the man-whore type after all. It wasn't him. He _wasn't_ a man-whore. Somehow I knew it deep down in my soul.

"I trust you, if you trust me," I told him.

He smiled at me and cradled my face with one hand before giving me the sweetest kiss, I'd ever received.

"Are you sure?" he murmured against my lips.

"Yes."

He pulled the camisole from around my wrists and threw it somewhere. I couldn't tell you where it landed because I was too busy wrapping my arms around him, pulling him as close to me as I could, not that it was ever close enough.

We wrapped our bodies around each other as he slowly pushed himself into me. If I thought it was huge the first time, with out a condom, it felt…enormous and tight and just…damn. I moaned when he was finally in all the way and our hips connected.

"If you keep making sounds like that," he panted. "This isn't gonna last very long."

"If you keep talking," I countered, panting as well. "Ah, fuck. I can't think straight." I couldn't think of a good comeback. I was dumbfounded by the feeling of _all of him_ between my legs.

He snickered at my comment for a second but then he looked down at me and his face turned serious. "I don't think I'll ever get enough of you, Bella."

Those were the last words he spoke before he started to move inside of me. It started out slow and sweet, but after a few minutes we were grunting and panting like crazy and I thanked God that the basement was soundproof. All I needed was for my mom and Phil to hear me moaning like an animal when Edward pulled my leg over his shoulder and drove himself into me.

He must have been doing math equations in his head or some shit, because he was definitely not a Two-pump-chump like he'd feared.

We made love for what felt like hours. _Soooo_ many different positions. My favorite of the night would have to be the both of us sitting up while I held myself up by holding onto his legs and he sucked on my breasts and my neck. Yeah, that was a very good one.

Finally we ended up back in the missionary position and he slowed down his movements again, savoring the moment I guess. He moved his hand down between my legs and tickled my clit with his thumb and that was what sent me over the edge again. I moaned loudly and panted his name while he pushed into me again and again, cradling my neck with one of his strong hands.

"Baby, I can't stop," he groaned against my neck.

"Don't stop! Fuck, don't stop!" I panted as my walls clenched down in sweet release for the third time that night, each orgasm stronger than the previous. I clawed down his arms with my fingernails as my eyes focused on his. I could tell he liked watching me finish.

"So gorgeous…Bella… fuck!" he growled as he released into me. Watching Edward orgasm was almost enough to make me do it again. The way his neck tensed up and his jaw tightened...not to mention the sinew muscles in his shoulders and arms. His eyes clenched shut as if he were being burned by some invisible flame and then opened again to stare at me with complete satisfaction, sated.

He pumped into me a few more times, while I came back to Earth, then he rolled us to the side while he continued to kiss me with his delicious lips. It took me a minute or two to catch my breath and to be able to see straight again.

Edward pulled out of me and I winced. He kissed me slowly and deeply three more times before he got up off the bed and walked to the bathroom. I heard the water turn on and off again before he was back, cleaning me up with a warm, wet wash cloth. I felt kind of stupid for just laying there and letting him do it. I don't know why but I just did. It was like he was taking care of me, and that wasn't something I was used to.

All my life, I'd taken care of everyone else. My mom was a lovable scatter-brain who couldn't ever remember to pay the damn water bill, and after she and my dad split up when I was ten, he just kind of stopped doing shit for himself. So when I was fourteen and Mom met Phil, I moved in with my old man and tried my best to be the one to care for him and be the woman of the house. I cooked for him, cleaned the house, I even made sure his uniforms were ironed and replaced when they got too faded.

It turned out that Riley was a lot like my mother in the scatter-brain department. He was always losing his apartment keys, forgetting to sign up for classes, forgetting to turn in homework assignments, etc. The short time we lived together was a nightmare to say the least. He always forgot to pay the rent, he never went shopping for groceries, and he'd always leave the toilet seat up. How many times can one person dunk their ass in the toilet and not get pissed. More than twenty, that's how many times it took before I nailed the fucking thing down. And God forbid I ever caught a cold. Riley would lock me away in my bedroom for fear that he'd catch whatever I had. Either that or he'd leave the apartment altogether and I'd have to fend for myself. I always knew he was a germ-a-phobe, but sheesh! It would have been nice if he'd at least bought me a Gatorade before leaving.

"Hey," Edward said, bringing me out of my thoughts. "What are you thinking about over there?" He was lying right next to me, staring at me intently.

"Nothing," I lied with a small smile and hopped up off the bed and over to the mini-fridge. I pulled out two bottled waters and came back to the bed, handing Edward one.

"Thanks."

"Mm-hm," I mumbled as I took a long drink from the bottle.

After getting our fill of water, we got under the covers and I snuggled into his embrace, our legs twining together like a pretzel. Edward drew lazy eights across my back with his fingertips while I stroked the stubble on his jaw.

"Bella?"

"Hmm?"

"I really want you to."

"Want me to what?"

"Trust me."

"Uh…it's a little late for that, Edward. We kinda already-"

"Not _that_, Bella. You know what I mean."

Oh. He meant trust him as in…trust him not to break my heart. Not to break me. Could I do that? It was such a huge risk. I mean, he could have any girl, and from what I'd seen so far, they were literally throwing themselves at him, day after day, concert after concert. He'd asked for my trust, but what did that mean? Did he want to have a relationship with me or was this just a fun fling to him? It was too much think about for now. Maybe I should just stop fucking around in my head and ask him.

Ah, but then I'd be the nagging girl saying, '_Are we in a relationship or what?'_ and I didn't want to be that girl. Guys hate that shit.

I sighed, giving the only answer I could. "I know…I'm… trying."

"Okay," he said quietly, tucking my head into his chest and then continuing to draw patterns on my back. I traced my fingers over the little patches of sparse hair on his chest and listened to his even heartbeat until my eyelids fluttered closed again.

**X-X-X**

I could vaguely make out my mothers voice through my thick fog of sleepiness.

"Bella…" she called from the top of the stairs. "Breakfast is ready if you two are up for it!"

I cleared my throat and opened one eye to see Edward smiling with his eyes closed again.

"Don't smile yet," I whispered to him. "You haven't tasted her cooking." He snickered and pulled me closer to him until his obvious hard-on was pressed up against my stomach. Jesus, did that thing ever sleep?

"Bella!" my mother called again.

"Yeah, Mom… We heard you!" I rasped. "We'll be up later!"

She giggled and shut the door again and I rolled my eyes.

"I'll make us something to eat if there's nothing edible up there," I told him.

"I can cook us some omelets if she has the stuff," he offered.

"You…you can cook?"

"Uh, yeah, why? Is that like… gay or something?" he laughed, one side of his mouth turning up in that sexy ass smile of his. Why would cooking be gay? Jake was gay and he couldn't even boil water without burning it. And let's not even go into the whole Thanksgiving fiasco from two years ago… He kept making comments about the turkey baster... I lost my appetite that year.

Turkey basters are supposed to have one use only. For turkeys. Only. Nuff said.

"No, it's just…I've never met a guy who could cook, that's all."

"Well, Bella," he joked as he pushed up against me and pulled my leg over his hip. "I'm a_ very_ talented man, in case you haven't heard." He slowly pushed into me once again and my eyes rolled back. I was a little sore, but that wasn't why I was moaning.

Nope, Cock-zilla didn't ever sleep. And I wasn't complaining.

About an hour later, we finally emerged from our cocoon and headed upstairs. I was right. My mom had attempted pancakes and they were burnt to a damn crisp. Thankfully, she and Phil had taken off to do some shopping at the sporting goods store and we had the house to ourselves for a while. Edward started cooking while I called Alice to check in.

Apparently she and Edward were in cahoots the whole time since I'd called her from the road the day before. She'd said that he'd called her in a panic that morning and begged for her help to track me down. She'd also told me that Riley had been over at my work talking to Victoria, and Alice was worried that he might say something to Victoria about Edward and I.

"He probably already did, Alice. Who cares?"

"Bella…If James finds out about you guys, he'll make me put someone else on the story. It's a conflict of interest and all that."

"That's fine, Ali. Just make sure it's somebody good, and for the love of God, do not send Lauren."

Over my dead, cold body would that tramp get my interview.

_"Bella,"_ she said nervously. "I just don't think that's a good idea. Can't you call Riley and ask him not to say anything?"

Ugh. I really didn't want to speak to that stupid baboon's ass. Although, I knew it had to be done since he'd almost royally fucked things up between Edward and I, and I couldn't let him get away with that.

"Yeah," I groaned. "I'll call him."

I wrapped up my call with Alice, and Edward sat down to eat with me. I told him what was going on and he agreed that I needed to call Riley and say something to him. Actually, Edward wanted to talk to him really bad, but I asked him to let me handle it. After we finished eating _the best omelet and seasoned potatoes I'd ever had in my entire life_, Edward got up, cleared the table and started to load the dishwasher. I couldn't help but watch him with awe. It was like I'd stepped into the Twilight Zone or something to watch a man act so domesticated.

When he sat down again, I glanced at the clock. It was just after nine a.m. Riley would be out for his morning run. I smirked at the Lucy Ricardo-style plan that formed in my head and dialed his number, putting him on speaker while I moved to sit in Edward's lap. After four rings, Riley picked up.

"_Izzy?"_

"Hello, fuck-face."

I could hear his feet slow to a stop on the ground.

"_Have you changed your mind?"_he huffed, catching his breath.

"About what?"

"_Me coming back,"_ he said confidently._ "I know you miss me_."

I couldn't help but gag and almost vomit my omelet back up into my mouth. Edward snickered at the disgusted look on my face, but stifled his laughter, while he rubbed my thigh to comfort me.

"Nah, not at all," I told Riley. "But you know what I do think?"

"_What's that, Babe?"_

Edward's grip on my thigh tightened a bit and then released. I leaned down and placed a kiss on his perfect pouty lips before continuing my conversation.

"I was thinking that the bruise on your face looks pretty nasty. Your nose looks like it might even be broken."

"_Wha- how do you know what it looks like?"_

"I can see you right now. Through my scope."

Edward's eyebrow quirked up at me in confusion while he continued to listen.

"_Scope?"_ Riley asked.

"Yeah, you know…like those ones snipers use on their targets."

"_You…you're watching me right now?"_

"Yup. And I have one of those cute little high-powered rifles the snipers use too. You know, the ones with a silencer? Borrowed it from Charlie."

Riley was quiet for a minute, and I waited to see if he would take the bait.

"_Bullshit, Bella. If you can see me, what color shorts am I wearing?"_

"Red and black," I answered immediately. "Oh, and you also have on an ugly grey t-shirt with a bleach stain on the left shoulder. Want me to tell you what shoes you're wearing too?"

"_Shit!"_

I could just picture the dumbass looking all around to see where I was supposedly hiding.

"That's right, asshole. I see you, and I'll be watching you _all_ the time from now on. I know what you did and how you lied to Edward, you stupid dick! And you _know_ how I hate liars. So here's how it's gonna go. You listening?" There was a long silence on the other end. "Helloooooo…"

"_Um…yeah!"_

"You… are not going to tell one single soul about me and Edward or about this phone call. And you are _never_ going to bother me again. If I even so much as _smell_ you anywhere near me, you lose a toe or a fingertip, and I will make it look accidental, capeche?"

Edward lowered his head to my mom's kitchen table while he shook with silent laughter.

"_Bella, what the hell-"_

"Did I tell you to talk yet?" I barked in my best Joe Pesci style voice.

Silence on the other end.

"Good," I said. "Now, you didn't already tell anybody did you?"

"_Yeah, but…but it was only one person! And she won't say anything, I swear!"_

So, he probably had told Victoria already. Damn it. That could be bad. Maybe I'd have to call that stupid slut, too. Better take care of _this _stupid slut first.

"Oh, Riley…" I said in a sad tone. "That was a bad move…"

"_Bella, wait!"_

"Tell you what. Since you didn't know my demands yet, I'll give you a ten second head start."

"_Head start… for what?"_

"Run."

"_Bella, what the fuck!"_

"Nine seconds, Riley…eight…seven…"

"_Bella!"_

"Five…four…"

My phone beeped, signaling the end of the call. Riley had hung up and was probably running for dear life. Edward looked up at me in utter shock and disbelief.

"What?" I shrugged. "My dad's the Chief of Police in my hometown. So I've learned a few tricks in the art of intimidation."

"But…how did you know what he was wearing?"

I rolled my eyes. "He always wears the same outfit when he runs. He's just too damn stupid to figure it out."

Edward chuckled and shook his head.

"How in the hell did such a moron get into NYU?" he asked.

Rubbing the fingertips and thumb of my left hand together, I showed him the universal sign for money. Riley's parents were loaded and they'd bought his way into and through school. The guy couldn't do a simple book report to save his life. Dumb as a box of rocks, but _real_ pretty to look at. Or so I used to think.

"Wow," Edward said with a Cheshire grin. "That was fucking awesome. Remind me never to piss you off."

Laughing, I jumped off his lap and he playfully swatted my ass. He got up and pinned me against the counter and soon we were making out like teenagers again, rubbing up on each other like a couple of horny dogs… until my mom and Phil came home. The sound of the garage door rolling up, startled us and warned of their arrival. After a minute or two, they came through the side door from the garage. Edward pulled back and groaned against my lips.

"You don't really have one of those rifles or scope things do you?" Edward asked, timidly as he stood in front of me, hiding his massive boner.

"Don't fuck me over and you'll never have to find out," I whispered in his ear before looking into his shocked face and winking at him.

Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Can't give all your secrets away. Another thing my pops taught me.

Suddenly I wondered what my dad was going to say about this whole thing with Edward. Not that my dad was any expert on relationships, but he hated Riley with a passion and it made Thanksgiving and Christmas and…hell, every visit back home with Riley was awkward. And Riley's parents didn't like me either. They were snooty and rude and made shitty comments to me left and right about how I was too skinny and too quiet and shit like that. What the fuck ever. My dad had at least been civil to Riley. He never once made a rude comment to him and Riley actually thought my dad liked him. Heh. Little did he know that Charlie was always two seconds away from smacking him upside the back of the head.

Well, that whole meeting would have to wait and possibly never happen because I was not about to have my dad meet Edward just yet…or maybe never. For all I knew, Edward could decide tomorrow that he wasn't interested in me anymore. I would be heartbroken, but at least I could be prepared for it.

The rest of the day was spent inside the house with my mom and Phil because it was raining pretty hard outside still. Edward and I decided to postpone our date for one more day. The weather forecast saying clear beautiful skies for the next two days after this shitty storm, so we stayed inside and watched movies on Netflix. Phil and Edward got along surprisingly well, since Edward had been a huge baseball fan growing up. They talked about baseball while my mom and I got bored and went upstairs to her bedroom and painted each other's toenails.

I told her pretty much everything that had happened over the last week, and she assured me that I was just being paranoid about dating someone who was famous.

It hadn't occurred to me that she'd been in my position before...well, sort of. Phil was famous in his own right when he played on the team.

"I won't lie to you, Bella," she said. "It's not easy being with someone who's gone all the time. That's why I travel with Phil as much as I can."

_Great, Mom. That makes me feel sooooo much better._

"But it can be done," she added. "And let me tell you, the reunion sex…_wow_."

"_Ewww_…Mom!"

Fucking disgusting! Mom and Phil having…_bleh!_

"Hey, you had sex in my house, young lady! Don't you _ewww_ me!" she joked.

"We did not!" I lied.

"Don't try to lie to me either, Bella. It's been written all over your face all day, and I could smell the sex in that room, all the way from the top of the stairs. I'm surprised Phil is still down there in the basement right now with Edward!"

My face turned purple from embarrassment and I covered it in shame while my mother laughed her silly little ass off. When we finally got back to the nail painting, she wanted to know where he was taking me for our date. I had no idea what he had planned but my stomach fluttered with butterflies at the sudden realization that I had a date with Edward tomorrow.

I had a date. With Edward Masen. In public.

What was going to happen when the whole world saw us together? Maybe no one would notice us? Maybe he had something private planned?

Maybe I was overthinking things.

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**A/N: Yeah, I'll never look at a bag of M&M's the same either... So, bareback, huh Bella? Yikes. Don't worry. She's not gonna get knocked up so relax. **

**And...I don't think Riley will be a problem anymore, do you? Heh heh.**

**Next chapter is _THE DATE!_ Ahhhhhh! And I'm going to write it from Edward's POV! The only problem is, I have no fucking idea what they should or will do. Okay, I do have some ideas *wiggles eyebrows*. So it looks like I have some thinking to do...hmmm... see you next time.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Disclaimer: **SM owns all the Twilight stuff.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this took so long to update. I just had a hard time writing this chapter for some reason. Edward Masen is a complex and funny character. Plus my husband and I got into a debate about it. He said that if a guy does stuff like what's in this chapter, he's trying too hard. I myself thought it was very romantic. Just goes to show ... I married a caveman. LOL. Well, read on...hope I didn't screw anything up and hope you like it. If not, let me know!**

**P.S. I did a butt-load of research for this chapter because I know nothing about Florida or boats. Crap, I just gave something away. Anyway, don't throttle me too hard if I messed something up. :D**

* * *

**Chapter Songs: **

_Damn it Feels Good to be a Gangsta_ – Geto Boys

_Think I'm in Love_ – Beck

* * *

**Chapter 8 - Beautiful Brown-eyed Girl**

**Edward Masen**

Okay, seriously? I am the luckiest fucker in the world!

Somehow I was discovered by a talent scout when I was playing guitar in a rundown bar in my hometown of Chicago, Illinois at the age of twenty-one. I'd been sleeping on my friend Garrett's couch – because I'd refused to go back to college – when it happened. It's not that I wasn't smart enough – I got mostly A's – I just hated school. It was fucking boring and in the larger scheme of things, I just couldn't see myself ending up punching a timecard every day, or answering to some fat, smug-ass CEO asshole, so what was the point of going to school anymore?

Then, just when I thought I'd have to go home to Mommy and Daddy with my tail between my legs, I got discovered. Nothing exciting _ever_ happened for me up until that day, and from there, everything just snowballed.

Before I knew it, I'd signed a seven-figure record deal, made an album, and overnight I became a household name.

It was un-fucking-real.

But after a while…it became a giant pain in the ass. I couldn't even go to the grocery store or the gas station without getting mobbed if I was in L.A. And forget about having a private life. I couldn't even fart without it making the tabloids. That's why I had to move to New York. Well…_that_ and the fact that I didn't want to have any reminders of Tanya, or have to keep running into her all over town. Los Angeles is a huge city, but when you run in similar circles with evil bitch-whores, it's like living in a small town.

Besides, selling my L.A. home and moving to New York turned out to be one of the best decisions I ever made.

People in New York are just different than in L.A, especially the paparazzi. They don't really give a shit what restaurant you're eating at, as long as you save a table for them. Don't get me wrong, I love Los Angeles. I love the weather, the smell of the beach, even the funky people in costumes that dance on Hollywood Blvd… but, everything good comes at a price.

And part of that price was a back-stabbing bitch named Tanya Denali.

Thanks to that giant skank, every place I used to love about L.A. just left a bad taste in my mouth. I even tried to date a couple of chicks after she fucked me over, just because…well hell, because I fucking could.

First there was Sasha…um, shit. I forgot her last name. Anyway, you know, that Russian, Victoria's Secret lingerie and swimsuit model that everyone's always going on about. Tall, stacked, pretty blue eyes and long brown hair…but her accent and broken English got on my fucking nerves. I'm sorry, but I couldn't ever understand a damn word the girl said. Plus, I just really wasn't interested in sleeping with her. I don't know what it was about her besides her mouth that turned me off - it just wasn't there for me. Garrett thought I was completely fucking nuts or gay for turning that piece of ass away. Maybe I was – nuts, not gay – but what could I say? She just didn't appeal to me and I couldn't do it.

After Sasha, Emmett fixed me up with one of Rosalie's friends from High School – Heidi Jenks.

Heidi was another tall gorgeous blonde who could speak perfect English.

What she couldn't ever do, was shut the fuck up.

I swear on all that is holy, if I had to hear one more fucking story about why Prada was better than Gucci, I would've had to chew off my own fingers from boredom. On our one and only date, I barely got two words in, and when I did, she had no idea who Robert De Niro was.

Who in the hell doesn't know who Robert De Niro is? WHO?

Besides that, she didn't know or didn't like any of my favorite musicians. I could understand that she didn't know who Jackson Browne was, since he was only popular in the 1970's and people didn't talk about him much today. But come on, Eric Clapton, Sheryl Crow, THE BEATLES – FOR CHRIST'S SAKE!

I even tried to ask her about more recent artists. The Strokes, Nirvana, Beastie Boys, Muse, – yeah I have somewhat eclectic tastes in music – she didn't like any of them. She was infatuated with Christina Archulera.

Yeah. Thanks, Emmett. I actually think he set me up with her as payback for putting saran wrap on his toilet when we were on tour.

Anyway, that was the breaking point for me. Well, that and the fact that my head was always on the verge of spontaneously exploding from her constant yammering about which Louis Vuitton handbag was just off the runway.

Plus, when you're actually begging your manager to find you a gig across the continent or even across the globe… it's time to move on.

So after Heidi, I said "FUCK IT" to dating. I would've rather whacked off than jump back into the dating scene if that was all there was out there. And for a long time, that's exactly what I did. Whack off and stay away from dating.

The press eventually stopped running the story on _MASALI_ – yeah that's the stupid-ass combo name they gave our relationship – and found other Hollywood couples to harass. Meanwhile, I focused on my music, picked up the nasty habit of smoking, and turned into a sad, emo, douchebag.

Then my uncle Carlisle sent me a text message that stopped me dead in my tracks.

It was a picture he'd taken with his phone – of the most gorgeous girl I'd ever laid eyes on. She was asleep on a leather seat and her hair was mussed up and covered half of her face, except for her pink pouty lips. Even with half of her face obscured, I could tell she was magnificent. Something stirred in my chest and I almost dropped my phone in my mug of coffee when I saw the message he'd written underneath the picture.

**One of your biggest fans! **

We texted back and forth while he drove from the airport to my hotel room, and I tried to pump him for as much information as possible on the mystery girl. Carlisle is not only my uncle, but also my manager. He's also an ER doctor, but he knows a lot about business, so when my old manager Laurent fucked me over and I sent his ass packing, Carlisle was cool enough to drop everything and take over.

My mom, Elizabeth, his little sister, _may_ have also influenced his decision. Elizabeth Masen is like Mother Teresa with an attitude. She has a heart of gold, but you don't fuck with her.

If I had told my mom the whole story of what happened with Tanya, I don't think all the makeup in the world would've been able to cover up what my mom would have done to her. Plus, I was ashamed and embarrassed, so I didn't tell her or my dad, or anyone else besides Carlisle and Emmett, and now…Bella.

Bella Swan – the beautiful girl with sad, brown doe eyes and a smile that could kill me where I stood.

The second I saw her in person, I knew. I was so screwed. I could barely do my show that night when I saw her sitting in the audience, scribbling in her little notebook. I almost felt like throwing up from the nervousness bubbling up inside me - knowing she was watching me perform. I actually almost forgot the words to some of the songs I'd been singing religiously for years.

I'd tried to act cool and indifferent, but that just pissed her off. I tried to tease her about the whole Josh Myer thing, but that just pissed her off even more. It seemed like the more I tried to impress her, the more she wanted to gouge my eyes out with a spoon. Her feisty nature made me want her with an intensity I'd never felt before. Not even with my one and only High School girlfriend.

I knew I could be a smart-ass by nature, but Bella didn't put up with any of my shit. In fact she served it right back to me in the form of hot coffee on my nuts. I'll admit that I was a little pissed about that one at first, but really, I deserved it.

Then she took off and I thought I'd never see her again. I completely freaked out and called Carlisle begging him to get in touch with her. He was able to give me her Editor's number and she, Alice, gave me Bella's cell number. Which turned out to be fruitless at the time. I called her a dozen times and…nothing. Left her a nice long voicemail…again, nothing.

Imagine my surprise when I got on a plane home and found her sitting two rows up from me.

And then we made up.

That first kiss…_fuck me sideways_. It was so hard to keep my cool and not maul her in front of the rest of the passengers. But I'd decided then and there that I was not going to piss her off again. I wanted to be around her – with her – for as long as possible. Which seemed like it wouldn't be that hard since we lived in the same state, and not too far from each other.

So, somehow I kept my cool although I was nervous as fuck around her. I tried to end the night on a good note and keep my dick to myself, arriving at my apartment. I didn't want to go to my place first, since I wanted to make sure she got home alright. But the cabbie didn't speak much English and somehow we ended up at my place first. I started to get out of the cab, but Bella stopped me and told the cabbie to go to her place.

Thank God he understood that one.

We ended up at her place and at first I didn't think she was going to invite me up. But I was wrong.

Then we had mind-blowing, toe-curling, hot monkey sex.

I told you I was the luckiest fucker in the world!

Then that skinny fuck-tard, Riley, Bella's ex, almost ruined everything for us. I swear if I ever see that punk again, I'm ripping his arm off and shoving it up his ass.

Luckily for me, Alice was kind enough to tell me where I could find Bella after I'd made a complete ass of myself and bitched her out while I was drunk. I knew something was wrong when I woke up the next day with a black eye and my pillows smelled like Bella. I knew I'd done something wrong if she'd punched me in the face, I just didn't know it was that bad. I vowed not to drink like that again. But like I said, I was able to patch things up with Bella and now here we were, making out on the sofa in her mom's living room after midnight, like a couple of horny teenagers.

See? Lucky!

**X-X-X**

The large black SUV pulled up in front of Renee and Phil's house promptly at five p.m. just like I had Carlisle request. The weather outside was warm and balmy, surprising for a late February day, but common for Florida, as I was informed by Renee.

Bella and I walked hand in hand to the edge of the driveway and I couldn't help but ogle her dress. It was a little black strapless number with frilly lace at the bust line. And it was pretty short, showing miles of her long legs that ended in the hottest dark red fuck-me heels.

Renee and Bella had gone shopping the day before while I was hanging out with Phil. Since I was busy making plans for our date and groping Bella the day before, I ended up just borrowing one of Phil's black dress shirts. But I had to roll the sleeves up to my elbows because his arms were a couple inches shorter than mine. Luckily I had somehow packed my nicest pair of dark jeans.

I couldn't believe that Bella's mom would pick that dress out. There was just no way. It should be illegal to look so hot.

The car took us to the marina near Neptune Beach where the yacht I'd chartered – The Galaxy - awaited us. I could've taken Bella to any restaurant in the world if she wasn't so afraid to fly, but since she was, I had to come up with something else. So I figured this was the next best thing – a sunset cruise down the coast, where the car would pick us up afterward and take us to our next destination.

Once we boarded the ship, the captain introduced himself to us and then went back to the helm. Bella and I walked around the main deck, hand in hand, while the vessel left the docks, the sun just barely starting to descend from the sky.

As we kissed along the railings on the portside, I heard Bella's stomach rumbling over the sounds of the crashing waves.

"Sorry," she mumbled with a sheepish grin.

"Dinner should be ready any time."

"What are we having?" she asked, skeptical.

"You'll see," I smirked.

She turned and looked out toward the sea once more before wrapping her arms tightly around my waist and nuzzling into my neck. I placed a kiss on her head pulled her closer, inhaling the scent of her shampoo. Then her stomach growled again and I laughed slightly.

"Come on. Time to feed you," I joked, taking her hand and leading her over to the stairs and up to the dining table that had been set up on the top deck.

At the table, the waiter I hired for the night - carried out the food in silver dome-covered dishes on a large tray. He was a short bald man in his mid forties and he was very polite as he lowered the tray to the table-side and began serving us our plates. It was all food that I had brought in from Bella's favorite restaurant in Jacksonville – _Roy's Hawaiian Fusion_. Phil had told me that she always ordered the same thing whenever they all went out to dinner together, so I ordered that and some stuff that sounded good to me as well.

For appetizers we had salads and the "Canoe of Appetizers for Two" – which included Crispy Spicy Tuna Rolls, Shrimp Cocktail, Blackened Ahi, Lobster Pot-stickers, and Szechuan Baby Ribs.

I also had them bring two bottles of their most expensive wine and a six pack of Heineken. I didn't expect Bella to ask for a beer instead of the wine.

God, I loved this girl.

Speaking of which, _yes_ I had said it to her two days prior. I couldn't help it. It just sort of slipped out of my mouth. But when she didn't say anything afterward, I decided I needed to be more careful of my big-ass mouth. I didn't want to scare the girl off. After all, we'd only just met.

"I can't believe you got Roy's!" Bella exclaimed, bringing me out of my reverie. She was digging into the spicy tuna rolls and the Ahi with excitement. "It's one of my favorites!"

"What's one of your other favorite restaurants?"

She scrunched her face up in thought for a moment. "Um…well, there's this one place my mom and I went to in San Diego when I was nine and again when I was eighteen. We used to go on road trips to sunnier places as a way to escape the Washington rain and gloom or when she'd just get a wild hair up her ass."

"So…" I prodded, waving her on with my hand.

"Well, it's this little Mexican place called _The Old Town Mexican Café_. They make their own tortillas right there inside by the front window, and the Carnitas…._Mmmm, God_," she moaned, causing me to shift in my seat. I made a mental note to take her back there soon.

"We should go there sometime, I've never heard of it."

She frowned and looked down at her plate.

"Bella, why _are_ you so scared of flying? Did you have a bad experience before or something?"

She kept her head down and simply nodded, not giving me any more than that. Suddenly the waiter appeared and brought out another set of dishes. I had the Lobster tail and the "Hawaii Kai" which was braised short ribs and mashed potatoes. Bella had the "Ginger & Scallion Mochiko Chicken Paillard," which was basically chicken with some fancy sauce on it, along with sides of Fingerling potatoes, and Pancetta.

Dinner was phenomenal and once I changed the subject from flying, our conversation was filled with laughter. Bella had told me about her Podunk hometown of Forks – her words, not mine, and I told her about growing up in Chicago and getting into fights in Elementary school for being 'too pretty'. She told me that _The Wizard of Oz_ was one of her favorite movies and then almost shot beer through her nose when I did my best impression of the Scarecrow.

You know the line where he says, _"It's a twista! It's a twista!"_

"Oh God, you sound just like him!" she laughed.

"What's another favorite movie?" I asked.

Again, there was that cute-as-fuck expression of deep thought on her face. "Agh! There's too many to choose!" she whined.

"Come on…just name one!" I begged.

"Fine. _Taxi driver_, then."

My heart thudded in my chest. There was no way. There was just no fucking way she could pick my favorite movie of all time. I stared at her in complete awe and shock. My jaw dropped. Just then the waiter came out again and asked Bella if she wanted another beer.

She turned to glare at him. "You talkin' ta me?" she asked him with a heavy Brooklyn accent and a raging attitude, a scowl on her face.

He did a double take at her question, completely taken aback.

"You talkin' ta me?" she asked again, getting no response from him. Bella looked away as if there were other people around then pointed to her own chest as she got louder this time. "Well then, who the hell else are you talkin' to? _You talkin' to me?"_

He blinked at her as she continued.

"Well I'm the only one here…Who the _fuck_ do you think _you're_ talkin' to?"

Suddenly, recognition passed over the waiter's face and smiled brightly, nodding his head. "Taxi Driver," he laughed and Bella smiled at him, holding out her hand to him in a fist. They bumped fists in mutual understanding.

"I'll have another beer, please," she said to him in a now sweet voice. The waiter nodded and laughed as he turned on his heel and headed back toward the galley.

I gaped at her.

"What?" she shrugged, looking embarrassed.

"Nothing," I smiled, my heart filled with emotions I'd never felt before. Who was this incredible girl and where had she been all this time? Seriously.

"Well, what about you?" she countered. "Favorite movie."

"Too many to list." She probably wouldn't believe me if I told her she'd just acted out part of it.

"No, no… I told you some of mine. Now spill it."

"Ummmm… okay, I've got one. Silence of the Lambs."

"Ohhh…yeah. That is a good one," she agreed. "I kind of liked Hannibal better though. The part where he pulls the top of the guy's skull off was so gross but I still loved it." Hannibal was the sequel to Silence of the lambs.

I smiled because I'd seen that one and also loved that part.

We continued to talk over dessert – a rich chocolate soufflé with raspberry sauce and vanilla bean ice cream.

By the time we finished eating the sun was a little more than halfway down the horizon, turning the water to melting shades of fiery pink and orange. We moved from the dining table, back down to the middle deck where we stood against the rails. Bella shuddered from the cold salty breeze so I wrapped her up in my arms as we leaned against the wooden railing.

"You really didn't have to do all this," she said. "But, thank you."

"We're not done yet."

"Oh… did you get us a hotel down here? Or are we spending the night on the boat?" she giggled, rubbing her ass into my already straining groin.

"Fucking hell, woman, are you trying to kill me?" I groaned. "We still have one more stop after this and we're almost to the harbor."

Bella giggled again and turned to nuzzle into my chest. We watched the sun dip below the horizon, stealing kisses along the way.

Toward the end of the voyage, Bella started to get a little green in the face from the choppy sea currant, but she never complained once. We made our way off the ship, down the pier and over to the SUV as the dark night sky cloaked us.

An hour later we pulled up to the alley of a bunch of large buildings in St. Augustine, up the coast from where we'd docked in Daytona Beach. Carlisle had called ahead to arrange everything for us, just like I'd asked him. The music could be heard as soon as I opened the car door and Bella tugged on my hand, pulling me back into the car.

"Are you sure this is a good idea? People will recognize you and you'll get mobbed like you did in L.A.," she said, worriedly. Little did she know, I had everything covered.

"Bella, we're going in through the back entrance and then up to a private area. No one will even know we're there," I assured her.

She nodded reluctantly and I helped her out of the car, up to the back door of Club. A large bouncer dude and a smaller sharply dressed man awaited us and led us inside and up a flight of stairs where no one else could see. I couldn't help hating the way the he was looking at Bella. It pissed me off and I turned to him at the last minute and glared at him. He stepped back and didn't make eye contact after that.

The music inside the club pulsed so hard we could feel it under our shoes. It was dark as hell and despite my planning I still prayed that no one would recognize me and spoil our evening. I'd told her about the club when we were a few minutes away and she was reluctant to come at first, until I assured her that I couldn't really dance either. Yeah, I may've lied a little on that one. I was no Justin Amberlake, but I had enough rhythm to move my ass at least.

Alice had told me that Bella actually secretly loved dancing in the clubs once she got a couple drinks in her to loosen up, and that I should definitely take her to one and do just that. So once we got to our private area over-looking the dance floor, I ordered us a couple shots of Vodka, along with a fruity drink for Bella and a beer for myself.

Quite a few drinks later, Bella and I had lost all our inhibitions and any rational sense for that matter. Somehow I had decided that it was a great idea for us to go downstairs and dance with everyone else.

Nobody would recognize me, right?

And _besides_, it was dark in the club so no one would be able to take any pictures of us, right?

Suuuuuuuuuuuuuure.

Well, the guys sure appreciated Bella's ass as we made our way through the crowd. After one more dickhead rubbernecked to check her out, I pulled her around to face me. The dark red heels she wore brought her closer to eye level with me as I pushed my pelvis into hers. She moved her leg to the side a bit so that one of my legs was between hers, bringing us impossibly close. Her shoes also brought her up to groin level with me.

God, I fucking loved those shoes.

I kept my hands on her hips and with no problems at all, we started moving with the beat as I lowered my head to brush a few kisses behind her ear and down her neck. She ran her little hands up my arms and dug her nails into the backs of my biceps, pulling her chest closer to mine as the music continued to throb. My hands trailed up her back on their own, my face still buried in her neck, biting it lightly. I could feel her sweet, hot breath on my chest, where the top two buttons of my black shirt were now undone.

As we swayed with the music, one of Bella's hands found my hair and she pulled my head back a bit before pulling it back down until her lips found mine. Her tongue caressed mine and I moaned into her mouth while I grabbed her ass with both hands and pulled her up against my raging hard-on.

Yeah, we were basically dry-humping on the dance floor. I'd never done it before, but if it was this satisfying, I'd do it every fucking day if she'd agree to it. Hell, I'd build a club in my fucking apartment just to have this experience whenever possible.

We ground into each other for who knew how long when suddenly, Bella pulled back and gave me the most seductive look from under her lashes.

Fuck. This girl was going to be the death of me if she kept that shit up.

I started looking around the club to see if there was a dark hallway or some shit close by where we could be alone, without having to go all the way back up to our previous area.

"Oh Shit!" some random chick shrieked next to us. "You're Edward Masen!"

_Uh oh…cock-blocker at nine o'clock…mayday…mayday…_

"No, I'm Jack Bauer," I quickly lied to the girl. "But I get that all the time." The girl looked at me confused and cocked her head to the side. I raised an eyebrow at her.

_Please buy it, please buy it….Go the fuck away…_

After a long minute the drunken girl decided I was right and disappeared.

I returned my attention back to the sexy goddess before me. Bella was still holding onto me and looking at me as if I were something to eat. Then she moved her pelvis close again and pulled my head back down to hers where my lips eagerly and gladly met hers once again.

Ah…dry-humping again. Please, and thank you.

We weren't bothered again as we danced to another few songs, and we laughed together as we did our goofiest dances to this one song about '_Party Rockers' and 'shuffeling'_ or some shit.

Then another song came on and we were back to grinding up on each other. It was an Enrique Iglesias song that I only recognized because it had been playing in the car on the way to dinner. Pretty soon we weren't even really moving much, just swaying slightly as we explored each other's mouths and bodies.

The pressure in my pants was getting to be too damn much, so after getting Bella a quick glass of water, I led her down a long dark hallway that I'd spotted near the bar. We found a nice dark corner and started to really get steamy but then some girls came out of the bathroom and started making loud comments about our…er… _activities_ in the corner. They could only see the back of my head so I wasn't worried about being recognized, but I knew it wasn't going to get past second base if we stayed there.

"Edward," she rasped in my ear. "I think we should get out of here and go find a hotel."

Psh. _Please _- Like I hadn't already arranged for that too. Did this girl not know I had it all under control?

Without another thought, I pulled her down the other side of the hallway toward an exit. We emerged from the club into the back alley where we'd originally arrived. An empty, quiet back alley. The car wasn't there because I'd told the driver I'd call him when we were ready to go, but in my alcohol haze and with all the groping and grinding, I hadn't remembered to call him.

I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have the urge to just throw her up against a wall and fuck the shit out of her sexy body, witnesses be damned. But I did have a little more class than that.

However…I did push her up against the outside wall of the club so I could _kiss_ her and grind up on her once more. Before long we were both panting and clawing at each other as it were the last time we'd ever be together again.

Then I heard it.

A camera phone - taking a picture from somewhere beside us.

I looked up to see the same drunken girl from the club, about twenty steps away from us, clutching her phone and staring at us as I covered Bella's face from the girl's view. I knew that whatever picture the girl had taken, wouldn't show much since it was dark as hell in the alley and I was pretty much blocking her view of Bella with my body.

Still, I was pissed.

"Give me that phone!" I growled angrily to the girl. She stood wide-eyed before us and hid the phone behind her back.

Bella pushed me out of the way slightly so she could get a good look at the girl.

"It's okay, Jack," Bella said to me. "She still thinks you're that _Masen_ guy…" She was trying to help, trying to get me to play along. But I already knew that this dumb girl intruding on us wasn't _that_ dumb. And once she sold that picture to a tabloid, or posted it online somewhere, Bella's face, or body rather, would be splashed all over some magazine cover with some stupid-ass headline. _"Masen gropes girl in an alley"_…or some shit like that.

It wasn't that I was ashamed to be with Bella or anything. Far from it. I just didn't want Bella's life to be turned upside down by the media attention. It could fuck up her job at the magazine and who knew what else?

If I were just some Joe Shmoe off the street, I could do this kind of thing with Bella without having to worry about this shit. I wouldn't have to plan our date with military precision. I could take her anywhere I wanted to and not be bothered. But I wasn't some Joe Shmoe. And if I wanted her to have a private life, she couldn't be seen with me.

Like I said before, Celebrity has its price.

No privacy.

"Get outta here!" I yelled over to the dumb girl. She shrieked and took off running around the corner.

"Come on, _Jack_," Bella joked, taking my hand and leading me down the alley toward the sidewalk.

"Bella, I'm so sor-"

"Don't even say it," she smiled. "It's not your fault, so please don't let it spoil the rest our night."

I took a deep cleansing breath as we walked toward the sidewalk and then toward the beach. I could smell the salt in the air and it reminded me of what else I'd planned for the night. I fished my phone out of my pocket and called the driver who was just around the corner from us. When he arrived, I opened the door for Bella. As soon as I got in next to her, she leaned her head onto my shoulder and smirked with her eyes closed.

"What's so funny?" I asked her, smiling myself. I couldn't help it. If she smiled, I smiled. She could be telling me my dog died, and if she was smiling when she said it, I'd probably smile right back.

"I was just thinking about how pissed you were at that girl in the alley."

"And that's funny?" I raised an eyebrow, smirking at her.

"No… What's funny is that you're _really_ cute when you're angry. Sexy, even. When it's not directed at me, of course. Sooooo sexy."

She looked up at me through her lashes and I was a goner. But since this SUV didn't have a privacy panel like most limousines, I couldn't have my way with her just yet.

"Behave yourself," I told her as sternly as I could without laughing.

"Oooh…I think _Bossy Edward_ is pretty fucking hot too," she purred. How many drinks did she have?... Oh right. Three. Not that many.

I groaned in her ear. "Are we going to make it to the hotel?" With the arm that was around her waist, I ran my hand up her ribs, just barely grazing the bottom of her breast. "Or am I going to have to have the driver pull over and take a nice long walk?"

She pushed away from me and moved to the other end of the back seat, smiling at me seductively. "Behave yourself," she replied, obviously teasing me. Then she uncrossed and re-crossed her legs…slowly.

Touché.

"Bella," I warned in a deep throaty voice. "When we get to the hotel, you…are gonna get it."

"We'll see…" she smirked.

Oh, we'll see alright.

**X-X-X**

Fucking finally, we pulled up to the front entrance of the Casa Monica Hotel in St. Augustine. It really only took us about ten minutes to drive there, but if felt like ten hours. I needed to get my hands on Bella. Quickly. All over her. Now.

I practically pulled her through the vast lobby and over to the front desk, with Bella giggling like a fool behind me.

"Slow down," she laughed, after I hastily demanded the room key from the front desk attendant and continued to drag her through the long lobby hallway.

Without a word, I halted my steps and swooped her up bridal style. She began to laugh hysterically and it was a good thing that it was late at night and no one was around to witness our foolishness.

We were having a good time and that's all that mattered to me.

The hotel was right on the beach and looked more like an enormous white castle than a hotel. Our room was in the top part of the tower on the back side of the hotel, overlooking the beach. All we'd have to do was go down an elevator and the sand was right at our feet.

While the driver had our small overnight bags sent up to the room, I carried Bella through the maze of hallways and into elevator, setting her down once inside. She leaned up against the elevator wall. If the ride was longer I might have taken advantage of it, but sadly it was only five levels. The elevator dinged as we stared at each other in anticipation. I took her hand and let her out of the elevator and over to our room.

Once inside, she walked slowly through the room, taking in its rich surroundings as I kicked off my shoes and threw my phone on the bed. There was a knock on the door shortly after and I opened it to find the driver with our bags. I thanked him, tipped him, and silently told him to kick rocks. He smirked and gave me a two-finger salute before getting on his merry way.

When I turned around, Bella was already out on the balcony, leaning against the stone railing. I threw the bags on the ground by the closet and stalked over to her – eyeing her like prey. Just when I was almost to her, she turned around. My lips covered hers before she even had a chance to say anything.

Our mouths melted together as we grasped at each other desperately. I almost felt bad when she ripped my shirt open, buttons scattering to the ground. But really, I could buy Phil a new shirt. Hell, I could buy him fifty new shirts. I'd do that in the morning.

Somehow I managed to find my way backwards to the chaise lounge and lay down on it, barely breaking away from Bella's mouth. She started to undo my pants while I tried to unzip the back of her dress at the same time. It was physically impossible to do both at once and we started to laugh. Until she bit her lip and I went crazy.

_Fuck the zipper._

Reaching under the skirt of her dress, up her thigh and up to her ass, I realized…

"Looking for these?" she asked, holding up the tiniest piece of black lace dental floss.

I know they were there when we were at the club. Trust me, I felt them. She'd taken off her panties sometime during the drive.

Fuck me.

I pulled her face down to mine and plunged my tongue into her sweet mouth. God, she tasted so fucking good. I'd kissed plenty of girls and _nothing_ compared to Bella's mouth and her tongue. Her kisses were just perfect. They drove me mad.

Soon we'd pulled my pants down far enough to do what I'd been thinking about all fucking day and night. She was too embarrassed to do anything else at her mom's house after the first night, so after one day without, I was already going through withdrawls.

Bella didn't need any priming and when she lowered herself on to me finally, I groaned in sweet relief - _finally_, buried inside her.

"I swear, I'm never going to get enough of this," I whispered against her lips. She moaned and swiveled her hips as I used one hand to push the top of her dress down below her breasts, so I could knead them with my palms while she rocked against me.

"Me either," she panted. "I don't want you to leave tomorrow."

Oh that. Why did she have to bring that up right now? I had to fly to L.A. to meet with the label and there was no way to get out of it. They were still pissed about the drunken display I'd put on and wanted to give me an ass chewing probably. I could care less about that though. I just didn't want to leave Bella. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

"Shh…we'll talk about it later, Baby."

She nodded against my lips and continued moving up and down with her hips. After a bit, she pulled her face away from mine and I watched her, watching me as she rode me at a slow and torturous pace. It didn't take long for her first orgasm to hit her and she threw her head back when it happened. I dug my nails into her hips, trying to hold out for just a little longer. Then I sat up on the lounger a little, deepening the angle and making it easier to take her breast into my mouth as we moved together.

Soon her second orgasm hit her and she gripped my thighs and leaned back and away from me as she rode it out. Just the sight of it caused me to follow along right behind her.

"Shit," I growled.

She whispered my name against my lips, clutching my hair and my shoulder for dear life as we continued to join ourselves together over and over again.

Bella met me thrust for thrust until we were both completely out of breath. She ducked her head into my shoulder but I pulled her head back up so I could kiss her some more.

"You're so beautiful…" I told her between kisses. "So fucking beautiful…I'm so damn lucky…"

We kissed for a few more minutes before it became evident that we needed to get cleaned up. And after that was done, I asked her if she would take a walk with me. There was something I needed to tell her.

Maybe it was my obvious nervousness that set her off, but she looked a little pale as we took the elevator down to the first level. We'd both changed into our pajamas before leaving the room and I just wanted to do one last thing as part of our date.

The elevator doors opened and we made the short trek to the beach, holding hands, fingers intertwined. The swishing sounds of the waves were all that could be heard as we finally made it to the shoreline. I tugged her hand and sat down on the sand, pulling her down with me to sit next to me. We stared up at the almost full moon and listened to the waves breaking.

"Bella," I started. "There's something I have to tell you."

She tensed between my arms and started to shake. I knew it wasn't from the cold breeze. Fuck, what did she think I was going to tell her?

I turned her around so I could grip her face. "It's nothing bad, I swear."

She let out a relieved breath and closed her eyes. "Okay, I'm listening," she said, her voice shaking.

Suddenly I was nervous as fuck. My tongue felt dry and my palms sweaty. I hadn't really rehearsed this part and I didn't know how she would react. So I basically started stuttering like a damn idiot.

"I just…You know we're driving back to New York tomorrow…and then I have to fly to L.A. right after that to talk to the record label…then I have three weeks of back to back shows…so I…I just wanted to make sure we're…"

"I get it, Edward," she interrupted, lowering her head. "It's fine. I didn't expect anything from this. You gave me the date you promised, and this was more than I ever expected, so, really, it's fine." Then she lifted her head and looked away from me.

Okay, what the hell was she babbling about exactly?

"Uh… maybe I didn't make myself clear enough." Her head snapped back to me, confused. "What I meant to say is that… I wanted to know if…fuck. Bella, I don't want to be with anyone else but you, and I want you to stay away from _every_ guy in New York. Actually, every guy in America is more like it. France too. Especially France. Oh and definitely no British. In fact, just stay away from men, period. Except me."

A smile crept on her lips before she started giggling. When she finally stopped laughing she looked at me with one eyebrow raised.

"So what are you trying to say, exactly?" she asked with a hint of sarcasm.

I really wanted to ask her to be my girlfriend but I thought it might come off sounding like a third-grader's request. So I went with a different choice of words.

"I want us to be...exclusive."

"Exclusive."

"Yeah."

She smiled again and nodded. "Okay."

A wave of exhilaration washed over me and I pulled her on top of me as I laid back on the sand. We kissed and talked about how I would text her and call her from the road. Soon her eyelids started to droop, so I carried her back to the room and into the large white bed. We laid together in blissful silence as the sounds of the ocean filtered through the open balcony doors. And that was the last thing I remember before I drifted off to sleep.

Luckiest fucker on Earth.

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**A/N: Phew! I forgot to mention that this was one long-ass chapter. So Edward Masen is both cocky and shy at the same time, at least that's what I was going for. And so, it seems next chapter is the road trip home and then separation for three looooooonnnnng weeks. Oh and lets not forget the camera pic. Did it show Bella's face? Is she going to get in trouble at work? Hmmmm... Definitely some drama ahead, folks. What? You didn't think dating him would be that easy did you?**

**If you'd like to hear the music from the club they went to, or see pics of the yacht, hotel, etc. stop on by my new blog and check them out. - www . queenbeee78 . blogspot . com **

**The link is also on my profile. Go take a look and think of it as a belated birthday gift to me! ;D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Disclaimer #1: **SM owns Twilight. All songs and their lyrics belong to their respective artists and record labels. I don't own any of that either.

**Disclaimer #2: **Do not attempt any of the pranks mentioned in this chapter... seriously. Don't do it. ;D

**A/N: Alright...you guys ready to have a good laugh? Thought so. BTW, I do all my writing without a Beta, so any mistakes are all my fault completely. Just thought I should let ya'll know. Ok, on with the show. This chapter's kinda long as well. Enjoy...**

* * *

**Chapter Song: "**Sabotage" – Beastie Boys

* * *

**Chapter 9 – Crazy Drivers and Crazier Co-workers.**

The drive back to New York was…interesting. Okay, it was terrifying as all hell. Edward Masen should not have a driver's license, let's put it that way. He drove like a maniac, weaving in and out of lanes without signaling and I almost lost my shit by the time we pulled off the road to get gas. I'm not exaggerating, either. I'd seen the middle finger thrown at us more times than I could count on both my own hands.

"Holy shit, slow down!" I yelled to him when he almost clipped the back end of a white Lexus.

"What?" he laughed. "I'm not even going over ninety, and besides, I can't help it. Your Jeep is fun to drive," he smiled.

When we finally pulled into the nearest gas station, I jumped out of the passenger side and kissed the dirty pavement below my feet. Then I distracted Edward by rubbing my tits up against his chest and stealing the keys from him at the same time. He pouted a little bit about not being able to drive anymore, but I didn't care. If I had to go six more hours with Dale Earnhardt Jr, he'd have to peel my dead body out of the fucking seat when we arrived home.

Of course he complained that I drove like his grandmother when I got behind the wheel after that, so I gave him a taste of his own medicine and drove like him for a few minutes.

_Then_ I got pulled over by a Highway Patrol officer and received a nice fat ticket for speeding and not using a turn signal. The guy even said I was a "reckless driver". Edward smiled sheepishly and promised to pay the ticket for me. I was pretty livid. I'd never gotten a single ticket in my whole life. If my dad found out, I'd never hear the end of it.

We finally pulled up in front of my apartment right at dusk. It was still light out and I parked along the curb and sat there for a moment. Edward jumped out and came around to open my door.

"Still mad at me?" he asked with his bottom lip poking out sadly.

I smiled and rolled my eyes. "No."

"Good. Come on then, let's get you upstairs and naked."

"Don't you have a plane to catch?" I laughed.

He shook his head. "Nope. Already texted Carlisle and told him I'd catch the first flight out in the morning." He was grinning like a fool and it made me laugh again.

"The record label's not mad?"

"Oh no, they're pissed. But what are they gonna do? Fire me? Fine me? Okay, they could fine me, but they probably won't. Besides, by the time I got there tonight it would be so late in California that there wouldn't be time for a meeting anyway." I had a feeling he wasn't telling me something.

"Edward…"

He pulled me from the Jeep and crushed his arms around me before dipping his head down and kissing me deeply, shutting me up. We were like a mythical monster - a mess of tangled limbs and fused heads - as we moved our way slowly to the front doors without separating our bodies.

Once inside my apartment, Edward let go of me and walked away toward the bathroom. I just figured he had to pee, until I heard the shower turn on and he came back into my living room without his t-shirt on. I'd been petting Felix's furry chin where he sat perched on the back of the couch, but once Edward came into view, I couldn't look anywhere else.

He stalked over to me and peeled my red shirt up over my head, then threw it on the floor and started unbuttoning my jeans. Within seconds there was a pile of both our clothes on the ground before he picked me up by my ass and I wrapped my legs around him. He carried me into the bathroom and set me down next to the shower before he peeled my panties off. Once his boxers were off as well, we stepped inside my tiny shower.

His mouth molded to mine until I had to pull away to get some oxygen. Then he started using my body wash to lather me up from head to toe. Once he got between my legs with his hands, my mind turned to mush and my eyes rolled back in my head. I tried to wash him as well, but I don't think I was doing a very good job.

Edward pulled the shower head down and sprayed me off and after he returned it back to its hook, I reached for the shampoo to wash his hair. Once we were both washed up, I turned to switch off the water, but he swatted my hand away and spun me around so that my back was up against the tile before he slowly sunk to his knees.

He pulled my leg up and over his shoulder and I thought I was going to slip, but he held me in place with his strong arms while his face disappeared between my thighs. My eyes rolled back once again as his expert tongue worked me over, licking and sucking at my already tender flesh.

Within seconds, I was moaning and gasping for air while I clutched at his dark, wet hair. When my body stopped shuddering with orgasm, he slowly rose to his feet and nipped at my neck while he held me up. My legs felt like Jell-o and it took a minute or two for my blood supply to go back to my brain, but when it finally did, I started to make a move to reciprocate the favor but he stopped me.

"Nuh uh," he rasped in my ear. "Turn the water off. I wanna be inside you."

You didn't have to tell me twice.

I turned around and fumbled with the nozzles until the water shut off and we made our way to my bed for round…three? Four? I lost count. Sorry.

I yelped when he pulled the towel off of my body and picked me up again, only to throw me down on my bed. Then he crawled over me made me lose my mind once more as he buried himself inside me.

This time when we made love, it was like we were both trying to memorize each other's body and face. We both knew that three weeks apart from each other was going to be tough, but neither of us spoke about it much. All I knew was that after his meeting with the record label, he had a short tour to go on the day after. So the only way I'd be able to see him was if I flew out to one of his concerts. I told him I would do it, but he didn't want me to fly if he wasn't with me.

My hands traced over his muscled shoulders and biceps while he slept soundly on my chest. He didn't even stir as I ran my fingers through his soft, messy hair. I closed my eyes and committed the feel of it to memory. Suddenly I felt him stir above me and he smiled before slowly rolling me over and taking me again. We didn't get much sleep, but neither of us seemed to care.

Saying goodbye to Edward the next morning was _extremely_ difficult. Carlisle had a car come pick Edward up before the sun even had a chance to rise all the way. The pink and gray sky matched my mood as we stood on my front stoop. I was both blissful and miserable at the same time. I could tell Edward felt it too.

"I'll call you as soon as I can," he murmured over my lips before pulling me to him and kissing me once more.

I didn't want to seem like the needy, clingy girl, so I tried my best to seem cool about the whole thing, even though it was killing me to see him go. We'd been together for more than 72 hours straight and I hadn't had my fill just yet. I didn't know if I ever would. I'd never felt like that before.

"Have a safe trip," I whispered, barely getting the words out without my voice cracking.

Like I've said, I was never really a big crier, so this just proved I was losing my edge. I lowered my head and cleared my throat. Edward used his finger to hook under my chin and nudge it up so my eyes could meet his. His thick brows furrowed together and his forest green orbs stared into my dirty brown ones for the longest time. I could feel myself tearing up and so I tried to laugh it off.

Edward smiled and shook his head. "My little M&M," he chuckled. I rolled my eyes and smiled for real this time. He bent down and gave me one last searing kiss before propping me up against the front doors of the building and jogging down the steps to the waiting car, his duffle bag slung over his shoulder.

I waved to him once he got inside the car, even though I couldn't see him through the darkened glass. I could feel his eyes on me, so I faked a smile as best I could until the tail lights of the car were just two red dots in the distance. Then I sunk to the ground and sighed heavily.

It was going to be a long three fucking weeks.

**X-X-X**

As I rode to work in the back seat of the smelly cab, I tried not to think about what I was about to walk into once I stepped inside the main office. Alice and I had spoken on the day I went shopping with my mom for my date with Edward. She'd told me that James wanted her to call me to schedule a meeting with him as soon as possible. It didn't take us long to figure out that he knew what was going on. Obviously Victoria knew about me and Edward because of Riley and she couldn't keep her fat trap shut. I'd already expected as much, but I didn't want to say anything to Edward. It wouldn't really change the situation regardless, so why bother.

I just figured that the worst James could do - would be to take me off the story and put someone else on it – like maybe Eric Yorkie. Eric had been at the magazine longer than I had and we were usually up for the same stories so I just assumed he'd get it. Eric would be ecstatic because he hadn't really gotten any artists whose music he liked lately, and also… had a major crush on Edward. And when I say major, I mean like he named his two Chihuahuas- Eddie, and Masen. If Edward actually knew, he'd probably freak out, so I kept that little tidbit to myself as well.

So really, I had no reason to be nervous. James would ogle me and scold me like a small child and then I would be reassigned to interview someone else. And whoever it was, it would keep me busy for the next three weeks.

Still…I couldn't help the knot of uneasiness I felt in the pit of my stomach.

When I stepped out of the cab in front of the building, it was still early for most of us who worked there. Most everyone else didn't get there until nine, and I glanced at my watch to see that it was just after eight. I smoothed out my long, gray pencil skirt, and pulled my maroon cardigan closed over my black button-up shirt. As my long, black boots clicked up the sidewalk, I cast a friendly smile at the coffee-cart guy and approached him where he stood near the front of the building.

Nahuel Velasquez was an older Hispanic man in his late sixties from El Salvador and he was always there before anyone else was. He always spoke with a thick accent and I never had the heart to tell him that I knew Spanish and that he didn't have to speak English. It was too much fun to hear some of the shit that came out of his mouth. He always cracked me up.

"Mees Bella! You looking so well today!" he greeted me, smiling as usual.

"Hello, Nahuel. How's business this morning?"

"Oh eet's good, Mees Bella. Always better when ju stop by," he said as he pulled on the bill of his Mets baseball cap. That was one of the many things we both agreed on was that we both hated the Yankees. Bunch of over-paid, big-headed, shit-talkers if you ask me. "Are you liking a Mocha today, Mees Bella?"

Come to think of it, coffee didn't sound all that great. I actually felt kind of crappy like maybe I was coming down with a cold or something. My body was starting to ache and my I felt a little flushed, even considering the brisk morning chill in the air.

"Um…do you have any Tea?"

He nodded and held up his index finger. "Oh jes, of course, I do. I make it for ju. One second." As he moved behind his cart and put my drink together, I glanced over my shoulder and saw none other than Victoria Stone getting out of a long black limo. She cast me a snide look as she walked past me, flipping her ugly red hair over her shoulder as she strutted her way through the glass doors.

_Stupid, fucking, rat-faced, cum-guzzling, twa-_

"Mees Bella, your drink is ready."

My head whipped back to face Nahuel as he handed me the cardboard cup. I took a small sip and moaned because it was better than any cup of tea I'd ever had and it was just what I needed. Still, seeing Victoria always put a damper on my mood, and today was no exception. She was probably just _loving _the fact that she'd gotten to me once again with ratting me out over dating Edward. I really don't know why she hated me so much to begin with. I'd never done anything to her but even besides the whole Riley thing, she was always trying to fuck with me in some small way. This was just another game to her.

I stared down at my cup, lost in thought when I felt Nahuel's hand on my forearm.

"Don't worry about that beech, Mees Bella. She is like thee cake made of sheet. Pretty like frostings on thee outsides, but nasty like the dog sheets on thee insides."

I burst into a fit of giggles as he continued.

"She remind me of my wife, Esperanza, God resting her soul."

"Oh, I'm so sorry. When did she pass?" He'd never even mentioned her before so I had no idea he was even married. He wasn't wearing a wedding ring either.

"Oh no, Esperanza is no dead. Not jet. But she ran off with my brother Hector five jears ago, and when I gets my hands on that beech, God is gonna be resting both of their souls, believe me!" He held his fist up in the air as he proudly proclaimed - "Every beech has their day, Mees Bella, I tell you thees!" He ended his speech with a smile and a wink and I couldn't help but laugh. Nahuel always had the funniest stories and sayings.

I smiled and shook my head as I pulled a twenty-dollar bill out of my wallet and handed it to him, but he waved it off.

"No, no, thees one on thee house today. Ju go insides and ju have a good day, okay?"

"But-"

"No buts! Thee only butts I wants to hear about is Shakira's. If ju ever talks to her, tell her Nahuel is her_ beegest_ fan." He took off his hat and held it to his chest. "I wants to take a bite of _her_ apple booty! Oh my goodness that woman make an old mans cry."

I threw my head back in laughter and then patted him on the shoulder with a smile before turning to head inside, shaking my head and still giggling.

Once inside the building and up on the twenty-sixth floor, I made a bee-line to my tiny office so I could throw my purse down and get my shit together before letting James know I was here. But as soon as I stepped into my office, I knew something was off. Everything was where I'd left it, but I could distinctly smell Alice's Burberry perfume and…_SEX! Ew! She had sex in my office! What the fuck! Why?_

I pulled open the top drawer of my desk and grabbed the bottle of hand sanitizer then began wiping everything down. Then I picked up the desk phone and dialed her extension but she didn't answer so I hung up and dialed her cell number. After several rings she picked up.

"Alice Brandon, speaking."

"Ethel Mertz, you dirty little fuck-monkey! You had sex with someone in my office didn't you!"

She gasped and hung up on me. My jaw dropped and I pulled the phone away from my face to stare at the receiver. Line one started ringing and I punched the button with a grin plastered across my face.

"Ew, Alice! I can't believe you did that in _my_ office! What the hell's wrong with yours?" I asked with a giggle.

"Isabella…" a man's voice rang out.

_Oh shit. James._

"Sorry, Mr. Tracker. I thought you were someone else," I stuttered.

"Hmm. Well, I'll need to see you in my office, right away."

"Yes, Sir. I'll be right there."

"Good. See you in a minute."

He disconnected the call and I cursed myself for not checking to see who was calling first as I stood from my chair and smoothed my skirt. Making my way from my office to his, I bumped into Jessica who was on her way downstairs to make a coffee run at the Starbucks on the corner. The majority of the office always got our coffees from Nahuel's cart but some of the snobbier people insisted on Starbucks. Jessica asked me if I wanted anything, but I shook my head and continued down the hall. As I rounded the corner, I caught a glimpse of Victoria coming out of James' office and scampering down the hall in the opposite direction. That only confirmed my suspicions that she had everything to do with this meeting.

_Fucking ginger bitch._ I'd get even with her later.

When she was completely out of sight I walked slowly toward his office door, knocking twice before entering.

James was sitting behind his desk with his flip-flop-clad feet propped up on top of it. As I approached him I noticed that he was wearing his usual holey jeans and tank top with a vest, but his skin was all flushed as if he'd just run a mile or two. Then I smelled it. _Again._

Sex.

_Holy… shit on a stick. _James was doing Victoria.

Well that explained a lot. No wonder she hated me so much. I couldn't tell you how many times James had all but hit on me right in front of her. Of course I never reacted to any of his advances, but now I could guess that she didn't like it. Plus, she had been perfectly nice to me during my first month at the magazine. When I thought about it now, she'd only started turning into a level-ten bitch when James first hit on me at the Christmas party. I didn't know him very well at the time and I didn't want to jeopardize my new job back then, so I politely suffered through all his flirtatious attempts. Riley hadn't even noticed because he was too busy getting drunk and flirting with some the girls from the advertising department.

Now, as I finally sat down in one of the leather chairs across from his desk, James removed his feet from the it and stood. He picked up stack of photos and tuned them right side up, fanning them in front of me.

_Oh….fuck._ This was worse than I thought.

"You mind explaining this to me, Isabella?"

There were dozens of photos taken from a distance and of course they were of me and Edward. But that wasn't the worst part. The worst part was that they were taken yesterday when we'd just gotten home from our road trip – pictures of Edward unloading my jeep and of us kissing next to the door to my apartment building. Then there were pictures from this morning when I'd said goodbye to him. Both times we'd thought we were alone.

I felt so…violated.

"Sir, I uh…I don't know what to say," I murmured, still staring at the photos, completely in shock. I knew Victoria would tell James about what I'd done, but I never imagined she'd stoop this low. It made my stomach turn.

"Well, this explains why you've been stalling with the Masen story, and I think you and I both know what has to happen."

I kept my eyes down as I spoke. "I'm off the story, right?"

"You're lucky I don't fire you _right now_."

"Yes Sir," I whispered, running my index finger over a picture of Edward's face looking at mine while James continued to prattle on about work ethics and conflict of interest. How could someone have taken these pictures without us knowing? Suddenly I didn't even care that I was in the middle of getting the ass-chewing of a lifetime. I just felt bad for Edward, seeing now what he must go through all the time due to his celebrity status.

Then I felt a cold, clammy hand on top of mine. "…But I'm not going to fire you because I like you."

My head snapped up and I snatched my hand out from under his and gaped at him with wide eyes. What the fuck was he getting at?

"You know I like you, don't you, Isabella?" I could only stare at his face in shock. "And I _know_ you like me."

_Say huh?_

I blinked at him and shook my head slowly.

"Oh, come on…" he leered. "We both know you stare at me _all_ the time."

"Excuse me?" I shrieked, turning red with anger. There was NO way I ever gave him the impression that I liked him like _that_!

He smirked at me and licked his lips and I just about puked on his bare toes. Then he turned and went back behind his desk and sat down again. The next thing I knew, two CD's were tossed in my direction.

"I'm moving you to music reviews for the time being," he said. "Victoria Stone will take over the Masen interview from here."

_FUCK! NO!_

"But Sir, I'm not a critic!" I stammered. "And…and what about Eric Yorkie? Don't you think he'd be a better match for-"

"Are you questioning my authority?" he growled from across the desk. "Telling me how to do my job? Because if you are, don't think I'd hesitate for a moment to just cut your ass loose right now! You're lucky to even still be sitting here!"

Inside my head I was raging.

_Psycho much? Fuck you and your stupid hippie clothes, you herpes-having, sick, perverted fuck!_

But I really didn't want to lose my job, so I tried to remain calm. "Yes, Sir," I choked, barely containing my ire. I kept my eyes on his just so he wouldn't get the satisfaction of knowing he'd beaten me down.

"Good. Now run along. I have things to do." He shooed me off with a flick of his fingers, hit a couple buttons on his phone and tapped his earpiece before leaning back in his chair and propping his feet up on the desk again. As he began to talk shop to the anonymous person on the other end, I slowly rose to my feet and scooped up the two CD's from the desk, along with all the photos. James smirked at me for just a second before it turned to a cold sneer that make my back crawl.

I almost couldn't get my legs to move as I turned to walk out of the room. I just knew he was looking at my ass and I hated every second of it.

As I exited his office I noticed Jessica Stanley coming up the hallway with a cardboard tray of coffees and I started toward her before I could stop myself. I knew one of those cardboard cups was for Victoria.

"Jess, wait up!" I called to her. She stopped in her tracks and looked up at me expectantly. "Hey, do you think you could run back down and get James a Venti Espresso with extra shots? He just asked me to go but my ankle's been bothering me. Pleeeeaaase? I know he'll really appreciate it if you do it anyway. I think he likes you."

"Really?" she beamed. It was no secret that she had a little crush on James. Lord only knows why. She looked down at her tray of coffees in her hands and frowned.

"Oh I'll make sure someone delivers those for you if you do it," I cooed, sweetly.

"Um, sure, okay. That would be really cool! Thanks, Bella!"

"No problem Jess! Oh and hey, I really love that sweater on you!" I hated that sweater. She looked like an overstuffed blueberry and her boobs were way too big to be wearing a turtleneck.

"Thanks! Okay, I'll be back up in a sec!" She handed me the tray and turned to scurry down the hall in her skinny jeans and black stilettos.

"Thank you Jess!" I whisper-yelled, and wink conspiratorially.

She smiled and winked back as she entered the elevator and my fake friendly smile turned to an evil grin as I headed back to my tiny office with the tray of coffees. Once inside I set the tray down and opened my top desk drawer, searching for my eye drops. Finding them in the back right corner under a box of paper clips, I opened the cap and searched the coffee cups for Victoria's. They were all marked with the same hot pink sharpie that Jessica always used and once I found the one marked "Victoria" with stupid hearts dotting the eyes, I flipped off the black plastic lid and held the bottle of drops over, then paused.

I'd seen it in a movie once that it would make a person violently ill if ingested. If this were true then Victoria would be puking her brains out by lunchtime. But then I turned the bottle around and saw the big warning that said "IN CASE OF INGESTION, CALL POISON CONTROL IMMEDIATELY!"

I didn't want to have anything to do with poisoning so I decided to forget about that one. Still I had a plan B. I opened up my bottom right drawer and pulled out the bottle of "SUPER COLON-CLEANSE". Alice had been on colon-cleansing kick a few months back and bought the stupid crap – no pun intended - for the both of us. Two capsules made me shit like a champ, so I opened up and emptied about eight of them into her cup. With as many as I'd put in, the evil red-headed bitch would be on the toilet, shitting like a fire-hose by lunch time. I stirred the cup with a dirty pencil that I'd dropped on the floor and then replace the lid.

As I carried the tray of drinks out of my office, I spotted Amun - one of the guys from the mail room - and told him that Jessica was running behind and would he be a dear and deliver those drinks for her… He was putty in my hands and like that – the mission was accomplished. It would never even come back to me.

I could've just gone into her office and kicked the dog shit out of her, but where would that get me? Probably in jail, and she just wasn't worth that trip. Still, I planned on calling my dad later and having him put a few calls in about her stalking me. That shit creeped me out and I wasn't about to let that one go. She'd obviously watched us, or paid someone to do it and the thought made me sick.

And speaking of sick, I was starting to feel shitty again. My ears were aching and I felt shaky, even after finishing all my tea. With as much time as I'd taken off from work already you'd think I'd be afraid to take off again, but at the Stone, it didn't really matter whether you were in the building or not. As long as you went to the meetings, and turned your shit in by deadline – you were good to go. I could take the CD's home and listen to them, then e-mail my reviews to Alice.

Which brought me to another thought as I scooped up my purse and threw the CD's inside – who in the hell was Alice doing in my office? I was starting to think she'd gone gay by the way she'd been abstaining for so long. She never went out on dates and I never heard her talk about any guys lately. Not since I started working with her anyway. When I first met her, she'd just broken up with this guy named Gary, but I'd never even seen a picture of him.

So who was it? Hmmm…

**X-X-X**

Back at home, it only took me four hours to listen to both CD's and write up my reviews. I didn't really know what the music critic guys would say about me stomping in their territory, but there wasn't a fucking thing I could do about it so I emailed them off to Alice, along with a separate email, using my new covert name.

**To: A_brandon**

**Dearest Ethel,**

**I'm on to you, bitch! ;D You better spill the details, ASAP! **

**Love, Lucy Ricardo**

By the time I'd finished everything, I was completely exhausted and feeling like complete dog shit. My head was throbbing and my throat burned. All my muscles ached like I'd just run a fucking marathon and it was cold as fuck in my apartment. But when I put on sweats and a thermal shirt, I still couldn't get warm.

_Great. I'm getting fucking sick with a cold. Nice._

Either that or it was just nerves from all the crap I'd already dealt with for the day.

I looked at the time, calculated the West coast/East coast time difference, and realized that Edward was probably still in his meeting with the record label. I hoped they weren't too hard on him for the drunken stint, even though he _was _a royal ass at the time. With much effort, I went to the kitchen and made another cup of hot tea. It was helping with my sore throat but not by much. At first I worried that Edward might get sick too, but usually whenever I'd get stressed out, my body would react like this, so I figured it was probably just that. And just thinking about Victoria being alone in a room with Edward for their interview – was enough to make me sick.

It wasn't that I didn't trust him because I did. But her…_hell_ to the no. Obviously she still had it out for me, and who knew what she was capable of with him. I just knew she would try something and the thought of it made my skin crawl. She already had Riley, and now she wanted Edward too? Fuck. I could almost imagine myself choking her to death.

Just as I lay down on my bed, my phone on the coffee table started playing _Hot Like Fire_, by The Xx.

"_I know you've been waitin, you've been waitin' a long time for me… _

_If you wait a little while longer this is how it'll be… _

_It's gonna be hot…like…fire…_

_Take…you…higher…"_

Edward.

I ran from the bedroom and fell over the side of the couch to reach the phone just in time.

"_You…can't…resist… _

_Kiss…kiss…and kiss and kiss and kiss and kiss..."_

"Hello?" I rasped, breathless.

He laughed from the other end. "Got started in bed without me already?"

"Pervert," I grinned, biting my lip.

"You love it."

I was grinning like a Cheshire cat. "That I do… So, how was your meeting?" I asked.

"Lame. How was yours?"

"Lamer. _Victoria _will be the one interviewing you now," I informed him. Just her name on my tongue, irritated the shit out of me.

"You're fucking with me, right?" He actually sounded pissed.

"Um…no. Wish I was, but no. And looks like she got an eyeful of us together. James had pictures that she gave him of us in front of my apartment."

"WHAT?"

I had to pull the phone away from my ear as he proceeded to growl every curse word in the dictionary through the phone, followed by, "I'll call Rosalie and have her look into it. This is fucking bullshit. Fuck that stupid skank! I'll have Carlisle talk Alice or whoever and get me out of the interview. I'm not talking to that bitch for all the money in the world. Not after what she did to you, and then _this_... she had pictures of us together? That's…that's just…"

I cleared my throat and wiped some sweat off my forehead. "Who's Rosalie?" _Fuck, it's getting hot in here. Maybe I need to turn the heater down. Wait…did I even turn the heater on?_

"Oh, that's Emmett's fiancé. She's a lawyer – a real ball buster," he explained. "I can't stand to be in the same room with her, but she handles all my legal shit and she's the best in Chicago."

"Um…okay," I murmured and blinked repeatedly.

"Hey, are you alright? You sound weird."

"I'm fine," I said, clearing my throat. "So what did the big-wigs at Volturi Records have to say? Are they gonna make you wear a SCRAM bracelet on your ankle?" I giggled.

A SCRAM bracelet was what the cops used to monitor your alcohol intake if you were a big time boozer. My dad made me wear one for three months straight when a bunch of Senior kids from my High School got caught busted for being drunk at the Prom. I was a Junior and didn't even know those kids very well, but he didn't care.

"No," he laughed. "Nothing like that."

His voice suddenly sounded nervous and my scalp prickled. I didn't know what to say so I just kept silent.

"They uh…they want me to get back in the studio after this short tour is over. They said it's time for me to put out another album. And uh…they also set me up with another artist to do a duet for the album, but I'm really not happy about it."

"They can do that without even asking you first?"

"Yeah," he said with a heavy sigh. "It's part of the contract I signed in the beginning."

"Oh."

"Yeah…"

"So…who is it?"

"Who is what?"

"Edward…"

"Oh right, sorry. Emmett was just distracting me, Anyway, it's nobody big, just Irina Skye."

_Just Irina Skye? JUST IRINA SKYE?_

_NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!_

I almost threw the phone against the wall.

Irina Skye was like the female version of Josh Myer. She was a wolf in wolves clothing - the biggest slut in the music industry. Her music wasn't as popular as most artists on the pop music scene because she was more of a raunchy jazz singer, but she did have a killer voice…_and_ a killer body. And she was notorious for stealing other women's husbands and boyfriends. I could only hope that she was not really the giant hoe-bag that she was portrayed to be. Hopefully it was just rumors like it was with Edward.

"Bella? You still there?"

I shook off the horrid thoughts. "Huh? Yeah, I'm here. Sorry, what were you saying?"

"Are you _sure_ you're okay?"

Clearing my throat and blinking my eyes rapidly, a drop of sweat trickled down the side of my face.

"I'm fine," I lied. "So have you ever met her before? What's she like?" Damn, I was starting to get dizzy. I switched the phone to my other ear while I lay down on the couch.

"No, I haven't met her yet, but we're all going to have dinner later - me, Carlisle, Emmett, Aro, and then Irina and her crew."

"Uh huh. That sounds cool. Say hi to Carlisle and Emmett for me."

"Okay…Bella, what's going on? Your voice all hoarse. You're not getting sick are you?"

Damn. Even three thousand miles away, he was calling me out on my bullshit.

"Actually, I do feel kind of crappy, but I think I'm just tired. Don't worry about it. I'm just gonna relax here at home and I'll be good as new tomorrow." Another drop of sweat made its way down my forehead and I wiped it away before rubbing my aching eyeballs with the back of my hand.

"Bella…"

"I'm fine," I laughed. "Go, have fun at dinner and call me tomorrow."

"Well…Jasper's there in New York right now. I could have him come bring you some Chicken Noodle Soup or something…"

"Edward, I'm fine, really! Don't worry about it, okay?"

He sighed heavily and I could just picture him either tugging at his hair or rubbing the back of his neck while scrunching his brows together.

"Can I call you later tonight?" he asked. "After the dinner meeting?"

As much as I wanted to tell him no again, the idea of hearing his voice again was just too good to pass up.

"Yeah, I'd like that." My head was beginning to pound furiously and my bones ached everywhere.

"Alright, then I'll call you later," he promised.

"Kay," I mumbled.

"Bye."

"Bye."

After a moment, the phone beeped in my ear and I closed my eyes. Visions of Irina Skye in a mini skirt and sparkly bra on a stage somewhere - danced through my head. I lowered the phone from my face until my arm hung over the side of the couch and just when Edward walked on stage with his guitar to sing with her, my eyes rolled back in my head, the phone slipped from my grasp, and everything went black.

* * *

**A/N: Yay! I'm a total cliffee h00r and I love it! Don't worry, I'm already working on the next chapter. So what did you think of my new characters? Do you think Irina Skye will really be the slut she's been rumored to be? I'd love to hear your thoughts in a review. And guess what else? I've got a twitter account now. Yeah, yeah...I know I said I wouldn't do it, and I blame all of you who encouraged me. :P **

**So there ya go! Follow me Twitter - Queenbeee78 - for shits and giggles.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Disclaimer:** I do not own anything of Twilight. It all belongs to SM.

* * *

**Chapter Song:** Sick, Sick, Sick – Queens of the Stone Age

* * *

**Chapter 10 – House-calls and Home-wreckers**

I opened my eyes and tried to focus on the wall across from me, and then the TV and entertainment center. The sun wasn't shining outside, but I could tell it was daytime. My cheek pressed against the cushion of the couch and as I took a ragged breath, I groaned at how stifling hot it was in my apartment.

Felix jumped up on the coffee table, obscuring my vision as he plopped his fat furry body down, directly in front of me. I blinked at him slowly, while he mewled and swished his tail furiously.

Fuck, he was hungry but I couldn't find the energy to get up off the couch.

I took another slow deep breath and closed my eyes. Music started playing from the ground below me, but I couldn't seem to open my eyes again. The music eventually stopped and then started again a minute or so later. Eventually, it played so many times that it just ended up sending me back to sleep.

**X-X-X**

Once again, I opened my eyes and tried to focus. Everything in my apartment was dark. The only light was coming from the one light I'd left on in the hallway. Felix wasn't in front of me anymore. I tried to lift my head from the couch to find him, but gave up after I was only able to roll onto my back. My cheek was numb and my hair was stuck to my face, but I couldn't do a damn thing about it.

_Why is it so fucking hot in here?_

Swallowing hard, I tried my damndest to get up, but failed. The music started up again and I managed to fling my arm off my stomach and over the side of the couch, but that was it. My head was pounding and even my hair hurt, so I gave up and closed my eyes again.

Man, I was so fucking thirsty.

**X-X-X**

"…she needs…doctor…"

_Alice?_

The voices continued to float behind my eyeballs. I felt like I was still on the couch, but I couldn't tell. It was so hot, wherever I was. Like a sauna or a desert.

"….calling Edward…should be…soon," said a man. _Southern drawl. Man's voice_.

I didn't really recognize the voice, but I knew it was a male. "…get her in the tub…burning…"

_So hot in here._

_Thirsty…_

There were loud sounds then. The sound of the water running in the bathroom. Cupboards opening and slamming shut. Then two small hand attempted to lift me from under my shoulders.

"…need help. She's too heavy for me," Alice grunted as she lowered my arms back down. "Bella, can you wake up?"

_No. Go away. Let me sleep, _I thought, but all that came out was a long strangled moan.

"You get her feet," Alice said to someone.

"Nah, sugar. _I'll_ pick her up. Go check the water and make sure it's not too hot," the man replied.

I was being lifted up by strong arms. It felt like my brain was swimming inside my skull as we moved.

_Dizzy. So dizzy. And hot._

I was lowered to the cold tile floor which felt soooo good. Then I felt my sweats being stripped off my body, followed by my thermal shirt. I still had my bra and panties on, I think. And then I was in the air again before I was lowered down into…

_COLD! WET! FUCK!_

"Agggggh!" I screamed. My eyes popped open to catch a glimpse of Alice's black hair directly in front of my face, obscuring my view of anything else, before my lids closed again. I fought to open them again.

"It's okay, Bella," she reassured me. "Just calm down and don't fight us." _Was I fighting?_ I couldn't even feel my arms. They felt like two pieces of lead attached to my body.

"Wh-what's going on?" I groaned. She splashed water over my chest and I swatted at her as best I could. "S-stop!"

"You have a fever," she told me. Her voice was rattled. Alice was always confident. This wasn't like her. "Carlisle's gonna be here soon, but he said we should put you in the tub to try and bring the fever down."

"No," I moaned. "Carlisle…in L.A." I tried once more to open my eyes, but it was a feeble attempt. I gave up and slumped down further into the water. Strong hands pulled me to sit up a little higher when my chin touched the water.

"Bella, that was yesterday. He's back here in New York now and so is Edward." _What? But he's supposed to be…where was the first show scheduled for? _"They just flew in an hour ago. He's been trying to call you all day and so ha…." Her voice trailed off as my chin dipped lower towards the water again. I tried really hard focus on what she was saying, but I was just so damn tired.

The strong arms pulled me up again and someone wiped my forehead with a cold wet cloth. Then there was a pounding off in the distance.

"I'll go," Alice said. The strong arms held me in place while footsteps came pounding back in our direction, getting louder with each step.

"Bella! Fuck, what's wrong with her?" It was Edward and he sounded terrified.

"She's just got a fever, man. Calm down," the strong arms told him.

"Move," Edward ordered with a growl.

There was some quick shuffling of feet and first set of strong arms was then replaced with another set and a hand came to my forehead. Then that too was replaced by warm, soft lips. I could smell Edward's cologne and I tried my best to move closer to him, though I couldn't seem to move my body at all.

"Carlisle, what else can we do?" he asked, sounding frantic.

"Well, if you'd move out of the damn way I could check her out better," Carlisle answered.

I could hear Edward huff out a short breath and then it sounded like he'd scooted over. Something small and hard was stuck into my ear, which then beeped three times. Then there was something cold, hard and small – like a small rock – placed across my chest in three different spots.

"She'll be fine after some IV fluids and something to bring down her fever," Carlisle finally said.

"We should take her to the hospital," Edward argued.

"I _am_ the hospital," Carlisle shot back and patted something that sounded like leather. "Keep her in the water for another ten or fifteen minutes, then dry her off and put her on her bed. Change her into light clothes and make sure you don't put any thick blankets on her."

More footsteps and hushed voices followed while Edward moved his hand over my forehead. For awhile all I could hear was the sound of the water dripping from the faucet and Edward's slow breathing.

Finally I was able to pry my eyes open. Edward was looking at me with his brows knitted together, his jaw tense.

"Not supposed to be here," I whispered after my eyes closed again.

"You scared the hell out of me, Bella. I've been calling you since yesterday. At first I thought you were mad at me again, but then Alice said she couldn't get you on the phone either. I chartered after Alice told me you hadn't shown up for work."

"So tired," I rasped.

"I know, baby. Just relax. We'll talk about it later."

I nodded weakly and took some slow breaths. Sometime later, he lifted me out of the water and wrapped a towel around me, then carried me to my bed where he changed me out of my wet bra and panties. I shivered and my teeth chattered before they were replaced with a light tank top and some small cotton shorts.

A little bit later – or at least it felt that way, there was a small pinch on the inside of my arm but I stayed still. Edward scooted me up in the bed and pulled me up against his chest, cradling me into his form.

"She might get too warm like that," Carlisle told him. Edward sighed with irritation and started to move away.

"No!" I moaned and clasped his shirt in my hand. He stilled and came back to his original position. A cold wet cloth was placed on my forehead and a hand gripped at one of my wrists again.

"What now?" Edward asked. At first I thought he was talking to me.

"Her pulse is still a little high," Carlisle explained to him. "But it should come down after the IV fluids have infused. If you can get her to swallow some pills, I have some Ibuprofen that should help bring the fever down."

The next thing I knew, Edward was sitting me up in bed and trying to coax me into swallowing two little brown pills with some ice cold water. I noticed that Alice was sitting on the other side of the bed, watching me warily. I usually didn't ever get sick, and neither did she, so she was probably just as clueless to this whole mess as I was. As soon as I swallowed the second pill, Edward laid me down again.

"What's that bag of fluid for?" Alice's voice asked.

"She's very dehydrated," Carlisle said. "The fluids will fix that."

"Oh," Alice replied. "Um…should I get her some orange juice or something?"

"No, not yet. Wait until she's fully awake," he answered her. "Gatorade would be better though if you have it."

"We'll go get some," Alice said, and I felt her weight shift off the bed.

Edward cleared his throat. "How long will it take for her to wake up more? She's been quiet for a long time already," he said, worriedly.

"Edward," Carlisle began with an exasperated sigh. "You still haven't learned to be patient, have you?"

"No," he answered with a slight laugh. I didn't hear another word from Carlisle while my eyes remained closed. I concentrated on the slow deep breaths from Edward's chest and the way he was moving the cold, wet cloth over my head, chest and the back of my neck.

The room was quiet for a long time after that. I vaguely heard footsteps around me, then the TV turned on and I could hear Felix mewing in the distance. My eyeballs fluttered behind my eyelids as I succumbed to a dreamless sleep.

When I woke up again, I didn't feel hot or cold, just exhausted and hungry as hell. Plus I had to pee. The first thing I saw when I opened my eyes, were the black buttons on top of red and black plaid shirt. I raised my chin up slightly and saw reddish-brown beard stubble and I sighed and snuggled closer to it.

Edward smoothed some hair away from my face and I pulled my head back to see his worried expression.

"Hey," he murmured.

"Hi. How long have I been asleep?"

"About four hours," he answered.

I looked down at my arm which was still hooked up to IV tube, the fluid bag hanging from one of my clothes hangers that now hung from my bedpost. I knew what it all was from the time my dad had his knee surgery when I was in my last year of college. He was in the hospital for three days and in that time, I picked up some helpful medical knowledge. Such as: Don't say the word _constipated _unless you want a nurse to come shove something up your ass.

"Can we take that out now?" I asked, nodding toward my arm. I wasn't scared of needles, but the damn thing was uncomfortable.

"Um…not yet. Carlisle said he needs to check your pulse again after the bag finishes."

"Okay," I whispered and then closed my eyes again. I already felt a little better, but not by much. Edward pulled me close again and started rubbing my back lightly. Then he started humming an unfamiliar song and I floated back into another deep sleep.

**X-X-X**

My eyes fluttered open again, only to be met by the sight of one of my pillows and an empty bed. I heard the toilet flush in my bathroom and then what sounded like someone washing their hands. It reminded me and my bladder that I _really_ needed to use the bathroom. I looked down at my arm and noticed that the IV needle and tubing was gone. I hadn't even felt Carlisle take it out.

_Damn, he really is good._

The bathroom door creaked open and Edward stepped out in a pair of black Dickies pants and a black t-shirt. My mouth watered at the sight of him and the way the shirt dipped down in a V at his neckline, even though he looked completely worn out. His hair was sticking out in every direction and he had dark circles under his eyes again – much like the time I'd seen him in the courtyard at the Chateau Marmont.

I stretched and flexed my body, then tried to sit up. As soon I did, I wished I hadn't. Throwing the palm of my hand up to my forehead, I closed my eyes to try and make the dizziness stop.

"Hey, sleepy-head," Edward said before he climbed back onto the bed. He sat behind me and pulled me back to lean up against his chest and then wrapped his arms around me. "How're you feeling now?" he asked, his breath tickling the back of my neck before he kissed me there.

I sighed and snuggled into him. "Like dog shit that's been run over by a freight train."

Edward raised a hand to my forehead. "At least your fever finally broke. Carlisle thinks you just have the Flu, but he took some of your blood to send it off to test for the Swine Flu, just in case."

"You shouldn't be here, then," I told him. "If you get sick too, you won't be able to do your tour."

He just chuckled. "Always trying to get rid of me, eh?"

"No, I just don't want you to get more crap from the record label," I murmured and then cleared my throat. Fuck, it still felt like sandpaper.

"Don't worry about it, baby. Carlisle took care of it already, and besides, he makes me get the flu shot every year, so I'm probably covered."

I nodded and closed my eyes but then I heard the front door open and a bunch of voices filtered in. It was only another few seconds before Alice poked her head in and smiled at me then looked to Edward and back to me, her smile growing larger.

"She's up, guys," she said over her shoulder.

The next thing I knew, Carlisle and Emmett were entering my bedroom as well. Emmett came and plopped down on the very edge of the bed next to Alice, and Carlisle walked around to the side of the bed and reached for my wrist. I gave it to him willingly, and after he felt my forehead as well, he smiled at me and went to sit in the armchair next to my bed.

"You're looking much better, Bella," Carlisle stated. "Still seeing purple elephants?"

_Purple elephants? What the fuck?_

"Huh?"

He snickered and shook his head. I looked up at Edward who was stifling laughter as well and then rolled my eyes before looking back to Carlisle. "In any case," he continued, deflecting my question, "You should be up and around by tomorrow, but try and take it easy for the next few days. Alice said she'd stay with you just in case your fever comes back, although I don't expect it will."

"So…I just have the Flu?"

"Yep," he answered as he sat down in the chair beside my bed. "I would suggest you get the Flu vaccine next year so that this doesn't happen again. And next time you start feeling feverish, don't crank up the heater to eighty-eight and then throw on a pair of sweat pants."

_Oops._

How the hell had I made such a rookie mistake? I'd taken care of my mom and dad so many times when I was growing up and they were sick with colds and the Flu. I knew better than to do something like what I'd done, didn't I?

I weakly raised my left hand and mock-saluted Carlisle with a smile and he laughed. "Yeah, I'd say she's back to normal," he added and everyone laughed. Alice helped me to the bathroom, where I did my business and then took a quick bath to wash the sick off me and then back to the bed where she handed me a big Styrofoam cup which smelled like chicken noodle soup. I opened the lid and sure enough, there it was – big fat noodles, chicken and carrots. Fucking delicious.

It was just what I needed. "Thanks, guys," I croaked before dug into the cup. Emmett tossed a white plastic bag over to Edward and smiled at me with his usual dimples.

Edward handed me one of the Gatorade bottles and I struggled to get the top open before Emmett swiped it out of my hands and glared at Edward while he opened it easily. Edward snatched the bottle back from Emmett and handed it back to me.

I raised an eyebrow at Emmett and he rolled his eyes before explaining, "Rose always hates trying to open those when she's sick. Says it's like some cruel joke to make the lid so hard to open when you're already weak from being sick."

I had to agree with that. Those bottles were a pain in the ass.

"I could've opened it for her," Edward griped from behind me.

"Well you didn't, douche-bag, but you'll learn," Emmett said. I could feel Edward laugh so I didn't worry too much about their little tiff. Alice and Carlisle were both laughing as well, which made me laugh even harder.

"Thank you for getting this stuff for me," I told both Alice and Emmett. Suddenly I remembered the strange unknown man's voice from earlier and realized it was definitely NOT Emmett. So who was it? I gave Alice a pointed look, and she stiffened and averted her eyes from mine. Yeah, I'd be talking to her later.

"Anything for you, little hell-cat," Emmett joked. He lightly punched my knee and I winced, totally faking it of course. "Oh shit, sorry, B!"

I smiled and stuck my tongue out at him. "Gotcha!"

Emmett narrowed his eyes as he gaped at me in shock. I couldn't help but laugh. He was just too easy to jerk around. He rolled his eyes and I felt Edwards chest shaking as he laughed from behind me and rested his hands on my hips.

Alice and Emmett stayed in my room for a little while longer and watched _Robot Chicken_ and _Squidbillies_ on Cartoon Network while Carlisle took off again, then Edward kicked them both out, saying that I needed to rest more. Alice said she would be back in the morning, since Edward would be flying back out to LA for one of the shows. Apparently the only show that had to be cancelled was the one in Seattle. Carlisle had moved it to the following week after Edward played a show in San Francisco. He said a lot of the flights to Seattle had been cancelled anyway, due to bad storms, so he probably wouldn't have made it to the show regardless, unless he rode on the bus with the sound crew.

I kept telling Edward that he shouldn't have come back to New York just for me, but he wouldn't hear it. He kept smiling at me and telling me to stop being a pain in the ass. I had to admit that it was nice having him there with me, even though I was too tired to really say much to him. I also kept trying to figure out how in the hell I'd picked up the Flu virus in the first place since I washed my hands pretty frequently and I hadn't been around anyone who was sick. Edward figured it was probably from when I kissed the ground at the gas station, or maybe the one time he let me pump the gas on the way home.

In any case, Edward didn't seem to be the least bit sick, which I found ironic since we had swapped spit more times than I could count on both hands.

The night passed by quickly and soon the sun was coming through my blinds again. Edward was in the shower and I could hear Alice on the phone in my living room or kitchen. I climbed out of bed and padded into the kitchen to find Alice cooking some scrambled eggs and toast. She was talking sweetly to somebody and as soon as she caught sight of me, she jumped and quickly ended her call.

I narrowed my eyes at her.

"Don't," she warned. "Just don't even ask me what I know you're dying to ask me."

Plopping down onto one of my barstools, I folded my arms in front of me, and leaned on the counter.

"Alice," I rasped. "You did the nasty with someone in my office. I have a right to know whose DNA was spilled in my workspace. And why _my_ office? Why not yours?"

"Because your office was empty since you were off in Florida," she shrugged. "Besides, it made it easier to keep a low profile and we didn't plan to end up in your office, it just sort of happened that way."

"Is he someone I know? Have I met him before?"

Her eyebrows furrowed and she bit her lip. She really didn't want to let me in on this secret so I gave her the puppy dog face.

"No way, Jose," she said. "Forget it."

"But-"

My bedroom door opened and Edward came out in a white Sex Pistols t-shirt and jeans, his hair a wet, sexy mess. I pressed my knees together as he strode forward toward me. He was behind me in five long strides and wrapped his arms around me.

"You should be in bed," he scolded into the crook of my neck before kissing me there.

Much as I hated to admit it, he was right. I really wasn't up to having breakfast at the nook just yet. I sighed, defeated, and let him lead me back to my room, shooting Alice a pointed glance along the way. As I trailed behind Edward, I raised my two fingers to my eyes and then pointed them to her, giving her the - _I'm watchin' you_ - sign. She rolled her eyes and went back to cooking breakfast.

After all three of us finished our breakfasts in my room, Alice excused herself and left me alone with Edward. I knew that it meant he was about to leave again. I understood, but it still didn't make it any easier.

"I feel like we're always saying goodbye," I told him, poking my fork at the remaining food on my plate.

Edward took my plate and set it on the nightstand, on top of his empty plate, then moved to sit across from me on the bed. He took one of my hands in his and rubbed the back of it with his thumb.

"Trust me," he said. "I'd rather stay here in bed with you for the next three weeks, but if I miss another show, they might start an _I-Hate-Edward-Masen_ website."

I snickered and bit my lower lip. "Um…there already is one."

"What?" he gaped in horror.

Shrugging, I added, "There _are_ some people out there who don't appreciate your many talents…and… also think you're gay."

His jaw dropped lower.

"Edward, I'm just fucking with you," I laughed. "I think if there _was_ a website like that, it would be run by divorced men who were just jealous that their wives pictured _you _during sex, instead of them."

The only websites about him that I knew of were all run by people who were obsessed with him and wanted to have his baby. But I wasn't about to tell him that.

He rolled his eyes, shook his head and then started tickling me. "You little shit. You really had me there for a second."

"Stop! Stop!" I shrieked. "I'm dizzy, stop!" I really was still a little bit dizzy, but not that bad.

Edward backed off immediately, but then stood up and leaned over me, coming in for the kill with his lips. I turned my head at the last second, fearing bad breath on my part. I hadn't brushed my teeth yet, and Alice put some spicy hot sauce on my eggs so I could taste it better.

"Hey," he said. "Don't I get a kiss after all your pain-in-the-assery? Especially after what you just pulled."

I covered my mouth with my hand and mumbled, "I haven't brushed my teeth."

He pulled my hand away and then grabbed the other one just in case and held that one down too. Then he leaned in brushed his lips gently over mine, dipped his tongue into my mouth and I forgot all about what I was struggling for in the first place. I'd also forgotten that he'd been drinking coffee and I could taste it on his tongue, but didn't care one goddamn bit. He released one of my wrists and moved his hand down my arm, then grazed the side of my breast and I moaned. Just when it was getting good he flicked his thumb over my nipple and then his lips and hands were both gone from my body.

My eyes flashed open to see him smiling deviously at me. "Paybacks are a bitch, huh baby?" he said with a quick raise of his eyebrows.

For a second there, I was stunned. He had totally just cock-blocked me. I pouted and he laughed before turning on his heel and walking toward the door to leave my room. I quickly pulled my tank top off, leaving me naked except for a pair of purple underwear then cleared my throat.

Edward whirled around with that smug grin on his face, but as soon as he saw me laying there with one of my brows raised, his eyes bugged out and his jaw dropped. He tried to recover quickly but it was too late. I'd already seen it.

"You're right, baby," I retorted. "Paybacks _are_ a bitch. I guess I'll see you in three weeks. Man this feels much, much cooler." I emphasized my rant by throwing my arms up behind my head and stretching.

He reached behind him and locked the door, then stalked toward me purposefully. When he climbed on the bed and hovered over me, I shook my head.

"No, no," I chastised. "Don't even think about touching these babies right now. Carlisle said to take it easy."

I really didn't know what the fuck I was doing. On the one hand I had just a tiny amount of energy but I was hornier than a puppy with two peckers. And on the other hand, I knew that it was probably a bad idea all the way around.

"Fuck what Carlisle said," he rasped in my ear. "I'll do _all _the work."

My breaths became shallow as his nose trailed down my neck until I felt his hot breath over my chest and then over my nipple. He nuzzled my nipple with just the tip of his nose before his expert tongue darted out of his mouth and he licked it slowly before taking it into his mouth. I moaned and just when I was about to grab him by the hair, his head snapped up again and he leapt off the bed.

"You're right though, you should rest," he said as he walked back to the door and unlocked it. "See you in three weeks, baby."

With what little energy still I had, I growled in frustration and grabbed my box of tissue from the bedside table and chucked it at him. I barely missed his arm as he left the room, laughing his stupid, sexy ass off.

"I'll call you after I land," he shouted from the other side of the door.

I sighed and put my tank top back on, then snuggled into my pillows again and tried to calm my body back down.

What was the name for Lady-blue-balls anyway? Whatever it was, I had 'em. Bad. My hot pocket was seriously pissed off. But eventually, I was able to go back to sleep, watch some TV, sleep some more, each more soup that Alice brought me, sleep some more, and then take a shower. It hadn't even occurred to me that Edward and I hadn't yet talked about the real purple elephant in the room.

Irina Skye.

**X-X-X**

True to his word, Edward called me seven hours after he'd left my apartment, but I didn't mention Irina. I didn't want to sound like the jealous girlfriend. Not that I was his girlfriend…yet…or maybe never would be. Shit. Whatever. Anyway, I wasn't looking for that either. I didn't need to label what we had. He'd already said he wanted to be exclusive with me, so that should've been enough, right?

Still, I had this little nagging feeling in the back of my head about the whole thing.

I needed to know more about her, before I judged her or jumped to conclusions. So I pulled out my laptop, and I Googled her.

Bad idea.

Everything I could find on her was about what a whore she was and how many Hollywood marriages she'd already broken up. Then there were supposed 'naked pictures' of her that I didn't dare click on. Everything about her screamed "Do not trust this hoe!"

It made my stomach turn.

I watched some of her music videos on YouTube just to see if she had a decent voice. Yep. She did. It was sultry and deep like an old jazz singer. Irina Skye was kind of like Fergie from the Black Eyed Peas, but taller.

In a fit of stupidity, I typed in – Edward Masen and Irina Skye

And there it was – paparazzi pictures of them having lunch with a bunch of people at the Ivy, a popular Hollywood spot to find celebrities. Edward was looking at Emmett and Carlisle in most of the pictures, and in others he was looking down at his phone. I smiled because he was probably trying to call me then. There were also a few shots of Irina touching his arm from where she sat beside him.

I'd be lying if I said it didn't give me the urge to go snatch her hair extensions out of her scalp. The only comfort I had was that Edward didn't seem to be paying any attention to her in any of them.

Sighing, I closed my laptop and shoved it over to one side of my bed. Alice was asleep on the couch but I still couldn't sleep, so I flicked on the TV and watched the news until my eyes drifted closed once more.

The next day, I felt about fifty-percent better, though I told Alice it was more like seventy-five percent and that she was relieved of her babysitting duties. Edward called me later in the day and told me that he'd be riding the tour bus down to San Diego with the sound crew, after their show in Anaheim. He was really excited to play at the House of Blues in San Diego since he'd be meeting up with Jasper there and couldn't wait to jam on stage with him and his band.

I asked him to e-mail me a copy of his tour schedule so I could know where he was and when. I wasn't trying to be a stalker or keep tabs on him. It was just exciting for me to follow his whereabouts for some reason, like I was in on some big secret that the rest of the world wasn't, since I was able to communicate with him along the way. Plus it would help me to count down the days until he returned to New York.

He sent the email to my BlackBerry immediately and I saved it to my laptop as well.

**Anaheim, CA**

**San Diego, CA**

**San Francisco, CA**

**Seattle, WA**

**Austin, TX**

**Cincinnati, OH**

**Indianapolis, IN**

**Detroit, MI**

**Chicago, IL**

**Philadelphia, PA**

**Ft. Lauderdale, FL**

**New Orleans, LA**

**Myrtle Beach, SC**

**Charlotte, NC**

**Ashbury Park, NJ**

Basically, he had a show every couple of days, working his way from the west coast back to the east, and then as soon as he got back, the record label expected him to get into the studio with a producer and start writing new songs – one of which was to include a duet with Irina. Bleh. Whatever.

He said he and Carlisle had tried to convince Aro, the head honcho at Volturi Records, that a duet with her would be a bad idea since her music was more from the Pop scene, but Aro wouldn't budge. He wanted this duet and it was going to happen no matter what anyone said.

Irina was probably blowing him too.

Edward had also told me that he'd spoken to Rosalie Hale, Emmett's girlfriend or fiancé or whatever, and that she'd told him there was nothing she could do about Victoria spying on us, since we were outside the apartment building and out in public. Edward wasn't pleased to say the least but assured me that there was no way in hell he would give her the interview. I wondered what would happen with it then, but when our conversation turned to paparazzi, I grew nervous.

"There's one other thing I want to be careful of, Bella," he said. "There were some paps outside your apartment when I left yesterday. I think they followed me there from the airport."

"Hmmm." I really didn't know what else to say. James already knew about us, so what was the point of hiding our relationship anymore?

"Don't worry too much, though. I told them I was visiting a sick Aunt and they backed off."

"Oh."

"Bella?"

"Yeah?"

"The only reason I don't want them knowing about us is because I want to protect you. You know that, right?"

"Mm-hm."

"I just don't want you to think I'm embarrassed about us or anything. I'm not, believe me I'm not. It's just…they're ruthless sharks, Bella. Once they get a picture of us together, your face will be everywhere and they'll never stop. I don't want that for you."

I understood, but how long could we keep it hidden, really? Were we just supposed to stay indoors all the time, hideout in hotels, never go anywhere during the day like Vampires or some crazy shit? Was he planning on keeping me a secret forever? Or just until something better came along? My mind swirled with unanswered questions, but I decided to just stuff them down for now.

"No, I totally get it, Edward. Thank you for thinking of me. Um…should I get a wig and big sunglasses or something?" I joked, trying to lighten up the mood.

He laughed. "No…not yet anyway. Just…keep your eyes peeled for anyone strange."

"_In New York?_ You think I'll spot anyone who's _not_ strange? Really?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he laughed. "Just be careful, okay? I feel like I should send Emmett back there to sit outside your doorstep or something."

"Edward…I think you're overreacting. Besides, I'll just say that you're my cousin or something. It worked with the doorman at your building."

There was a long pause.

"Which one?" he finally asked.

"Mike. The blonde guy who works the night shift," I clarified as I continued petting Felix where he lay beside me, bunting my leg with his face.

Another long pause from Edward.

"You talked to him?"

"Yeah," I shrugged. "He was very helpful." Yeah, helpful in me getting my revenge on Edward that night.

"That kid's an ass," Edward growled.

"Ooo-kay… Well, he seemed like a nice guy." What was Edward's problem with the guy, anyway?

Edward snorted, disapprovingly. "Whatever."

I couldn't help but smile and shake my head at his unnecessary jealousy, but I didn't say anything further. After changing the subject to try and alleviate the tension in his voice, we talked for about an hour until he had to go get ready for his Anaheim show. I wished him luck and we ended our call.

The first week dragged by in a haze of dirty and sweet text messages, long late night phone calls, and meetings at work where Victoria threw eye-daggers at me and James ignored me completely. He'd already made me re-write my music reviews three times before throwing two more CD's at me for the next month's issue. By Wednesday I was ready to pull my hair out because the new CD's sucked hard, not to mention the fact that I had started my period. I was thankful that Edward was out of town for that little fun-fest.

By the second week, I was having already having major Edward withdrawls. I didn't even hear most of what was said at the work meetings since none of it pertained to me. They'd picked some other musician to be on the April cover and everyone looked my way when James announced that the Edward Masen story had to be pushed back until further notice. I kept my eyes down on my coffee and doodled in my notebook.

I kept scribbling - _New Orleans_, because that was where Edward was going to be doing a show in the near future and I was seriously considering hopping on a plane to meet him there. It was also Mardi Gras on the day after his show – Fat Tuesday- there and I'd never been there for the big festival, but always wanted to see what all the fuss was about. He'd also mentioned it to me over the phone once or twice…or five times.

Alice glanced over at my notebook and when she saw the words _Mardi Gras_, she gave me the thumbs up, telling me she thought it was a good idea too.

_Hmmm… Mardi Gras and Masen…_

_Outdoor celebrations and masks to hide our identity…_

We could walk around freely, and no one would know who we were.

Yeah buddy.

I went straight home after work and booked my flight. I told Edward about my idea to spend Mardi Gras with him, and he was thrilled, to say the least. What I didn't tell him was that I planned to fly in a day early and catch his Monday night show there in New Orleans. I wanted to surprise him a day early, plus I really wanted to hear him sing.

For once in my life, Monday couldn't come soon enough.

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**A/N: So...what are your thoughts? Sorry there was no lemon in this chapter but at least there's no cliffie, right? Next chapter is Mardi Gras and some more crazy fuckery that I have hiding up my sleeve. You didn't really think dating a rock star would be easy did you? *Insert evil laugh***

**Next update?... yeah, I don't know. But leave me a review and let me know what you think or if you have a question. Also, you can find me on Twitter : Queenbeee78 - I check it every day so you will definately get a quicker response there. Thanks for reading. See you all next time.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Twilight or its characters. Duh.

**A/N: Apologies for the delay... You see what had happened was - I was writing this chapter and this gremlin came to my front door and demanded all of my panties, and when I told him Hell NO, he stole my laptop and ran away. I chased him all the way to Mexico to get it back and it took forever! Don't believe me? Lol. Okay, okay...so the truth is that I've just been crazy busy with extra Mommy duties because of the kid's summer break from school. **

**The good news is that this New Orleans/Mardi Gras chapter ended up so damned long that it's now 2 chapters. More on that at the bottom.**

**Last thing I want to say is that this story is meant to be ridiculous and funny, and _not completely_ realistic. What I'm saying is JUST GO WITH IT, and have a good time. :) Alrighty then, enjoy the madness...**

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

Army of Me – Bjork

She's a Bitch – Missy Elliott

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Skeletons, Mug Shots and Imbecilic Ass-hairs named Edward**

Everything was all set up for my surprise early visit to New Orleans to visit Edward. Carlisle was going to fly there with me and set me up with a front row seat to Edward's show.

As I finished off the last touches to my music reviews of the _shit-tastic_ CD's James had given me, I smiled, knowing I was about to see Edward again in less than eight hours. It had been a crazy week at the magazine. Everyone was eyeing me skeptically, probably wanting to know exactly what I had done wrong to have the Masen interview pushed back, but no one outright asked me about it. I couldn't understand why Victoria hadn't just told everyone yet. It made me wonder just what the hell she was waiting for. I didn't trust her. That much was obvious.

Still, she never stopped giving me dirty looks, but I had already expected that.

_Suck it, bitch, _I thought, as I saved the review document and attached it to the email for Alice._ He's not going anywhere near you, Victoria. You lose, I win. Ha!_

I sent off the email to Alice and powered down my laptop, just as my BlackBerry pinged with a text from Edward.

**Getting ready to have lunch with Emmett and the sound crew guys. How are things? Is Raggedy-Ann still giving you problems?**

He'd already been texted me early in the morning to tell me that Victoria was still calling Carlisle and trying to suck up to him to get the interview going. Carlisle had told her that it wasn't going to happen, and apparently she was not pleased. I'd told Edward about her giving me dirty looks.

**Nothing I can't handle. Did you get some sleep yet?**

Edward hadn't been sleeping well while he was on tour. I just figured it was because of the change in time zones, plus the constant performances had to be exhausting.

**Not really. I can't sleep when you're not in bed with me. I miss your smell.**

I smiled and my heart fluttered before I scrunched up my nose as I typed my reply, teasing him just a little.

**I smell? :/ **

**Mmmmm. So fucking good. **

**What do I smell like? Wait, don't answer that.**

***laughing* Bella, I'm talking about that shampoo you use – the one that smells like vanilla and coconuts. What the fuck is the name of that stuff anyway? I'm buying a case of it.**

**It's called - "Aloha Girl" by Philosophy. And please don't buy yourself any. I like the way YOU smell. Wouldn't want you walking around smelling like a girl… then what would your haters say? ;)**

**I don't give a shit. I'm fucking buying some even if I have to just sit here and sniff it like a crazed crack addict.**

A belly-laugh erupted from within as I imagined Edward Masen sitting on some random hotel couch, fervently sniffing a bottle of girly shampoo while Emmett watched in horror.

**LOL! I'm sure Emmett will get a kick out of that. I will need pictures.**

**Done. Baby, I can't wait to see you tomorrow. What time does your flight get in?** Did I mention that I LOVED it when he called me _Baby_? Yeah, I know…I'm lame. Kiss my ass. _Wait…did he just ask about my flight?_

_Shit!_ Now I had to lie to him. Oh well, he'd forgive me, right? Plus I needed to end this conversation before he tried to get any more details out of me which would lead to further lies.

**9:30 a.m. Edward, I have to go, the boss is calling.** Great. Another lie.

His reply was quick. **Ok. I'll call you tonight after the show? **

**Yeah, I'll talk to you after the show. Gotta go. Miss you… x**,I responded. God, did I miss him. If I closed my eyes, the first thing I saw was Edward, smiling that sexy lopsided grin with that twinkle in his gorgeous green eyes. His hair flopping over his forehead… Shit, I was so whipped.

**Miss you more, baby. Talk later. x**

With a smile on my face that would make the Kool-Aid man bow down and kiss my burgundy-black toenails, I finished packing, left two bowls of dry food out for Felix and locked up the apartment before jumping into a cab with a rather hyper Carlisle and heading off to the airport.

The flight was…decent. We didn't crash, that's about all I can say.

And I didn't drink either, so that was a definite improvement. Okay… so I _may_ have slipped and had just a small glass of rum and Coke. It didn't help my nerves much, so I closed my eyes and focused on Edward's face while Carlisle went on and on about his wife Esme's cooking and what he was going to get her for her birthday. Much as I liked Carlisle, and his wife sounded nice, I was only half-listening.

Three hours later after we picked up our bags at the airport in New Orleans, Carlisle and I took a rental car back to his hotel room which was in a different hotel than Edward's. Carlisle said he would take my stuff over to Edward's hotel after he knew Edward was already at the venue. It was like we were spies planning some covert operation and it was fucking awesome. Apparently Carlisle Cullen was quite the practical joker. Who knew. He also told me that he was glad that I was there to keep Edward busy, because he'd apparently been a grouchy, miserable fucking ogre – Carlisle's words, not mine – since the day they'd left my apartment about two weeks prior.

In Carlisle's hotel room, I finished curling my hair before throwing on my black peep-toe heels. I wanted to just blend in with the crowd at the venue, so I dressed a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans, cuffed up at the bottom, and a tight, black v-neck tee, tied at the waist. I swiped on some mascara and some red lip gloss and I was off to see the show. Carlisle took a cab to the venue and let me have the rental car.

Emmett was waiting for me outside a side entrance the building when I arrived there promptly at six p.m. Instead of taking me to the VIP section, he handed me a ticket and then disappeared back through the door – telling me that Edward would see me if I waited in the VIP section. I actually didn't fucking care at that point if he saw me early or not, because I really just wanted to see him already. But Emmett assured me that I should just go around to the front like all the rest of the people and he would bring me to Edward after the show.

First of all, Emmett was acting _weird_. Like, overly nice and nervous at the same time. And he was talking really fast and kept clearing his throat and looking over his shoulder.

Something didn't feel right.

Call it women's intuition, or spidey-sense…something was just…wrong.

I also noticed that _not only _had Emmett given me a lower grade ticket than front row, he also didn't give me a backstage pass like Carlisle said he was supposed to. It didn't matter though. I had the key card to Edward's hotel room in the back pocket of my jeans. That was VIP enough for me.

As I filed into the venue with the rest of the cattle herd, I couldn't help but overhear two skanks gossiping behind me among the other buzzing conversations.

"Can you believe we're actually here?" one skank shrieked. "If I could just get ten minutes alone with him backstage…Too bad he's already screwing that hooker - Irina Skye, though."

My blood boiled. Stupid fucking tabloids. I'd already seen the stupid bullshit lies they were spewing when I went to the grocery store two days prior. They'd taken one of the photos from the group lunch Edward had and cropped it so that it looked like Edward and Irina were having some intimate discussion. What-the fuck-ever.

"Yeah," the other skank replied. "If I had tits like Irina's, I could probably get into Edward's pants too," she giggled.

I swear to God, I wanted to punch something or rip some bitch's weave out. Was that all they thought it took? A nice rack?

Well…I guess I'd thought the same before as well. Why did we all assume Edward was that shallow?

Luckily, the idiot twins quieted down as we quickly made it inside the building. The House of Blues in New Orleans looked like and old western saloon from the outside, but on the inside, it was like being inside a biker bar or some cool hangout that you always dreamed about going to as a young kid. Or at least I did.

Once inside the music hall area, I had my choice of sitting at a table off to the side, standing on the wood floor directly in front of the stage and next to the VIP section of tables there, or going to the upper level and watching from above. I decided on the upper level and made my way up the wooden stairs.

It wasn't too much longer after that when the lights went down and some little blues band called _Rumspringa_ came on and did a few songs to open the show. They were really, really good but I couldn't concentrate. I couldn't stand still, shifting from one foot to the other, and it wasn't just because my peep-toe heels were killing my poor feet. I was nervous with anticipation, eager to see Edward again.

Finally, he came to the stage in a simple grey t-shirt and black jeans, and for once, no beanie. I smiled like a love-sick fool. His messy, gorgeous, reddish-brown hair was on display for all to see as he took a seat on a stool in the middle of the stage. I'll admit, I was completely fan-girling over him and his beard stubble like a damn jackass – inside my head of course. He greeted everyone, said a few polite words about enjoying New Orleans then started into his first song. He looked around at the crowd briefly and then back to his guitar. That's when I noticed that he looked irritated. Something was wrong.

Or maybe it was just like Carlisle had said. Maybe he was just grumpy and tired from being on the road. But that didn't make sense either because Edward had always told me how much he loved to play his music. He'd always said that no matter what had happened during the day, the music always made him feel better.

So what was the problem?

At the end of the third song Edward played, I really wanted to text him to let him know I was there, but I knew he wouldn't have his phone on him. As I was thinking of ways to get his attention, he looked right up in my direction and our eyes met. It was like he knew somehow that I was thinking of him and that I was there. When I smiled to him, his brilliant, panty-melting smile was instant and it sent a thrill through me. I gave him a small wave and winked at him. His cheeks flushed and he looked down at his guitar while grinning before starting into his next song.

It wasn't until the last song Edward sang when he looked over to the VIP section a final time and scowled, that I realized what had brought on his earlier ire. I looked down at the VIP section and noticed a certain strawberry blonde making googly-eyes at my man.

Tanya Denali. In the fucking flesh.

_No. Way._

_Why the hell would she be here at one of his concerts? She knows he hates her._

_And why the fuck is she eye-fucking him like that?_

My body ran cold and my palms began to sweat. What the fuck was going on?

As Edward started into the middle of the song, I could no longer deny the fact that I had to pee really fucking badly, so I started to make my way back downstairs, pushing through the crowds of people. One guy with a shaved head, who smelled like body odor and beer, grabbed my ass then played it off like it was no big deal. I stomped on his sneaker-covered toe with my heel and continued on my way while he cursed from behind me.

There was a set of bathrooms were just to the right of the back entrance and inside the lounge area. No one was really in line and soon I was on the throne, doing my business and eagerly anticipating my surprise meeting with Edward.

Not two seconds after I'd flushed the toilet, I heard a shrill, whiny, female voice echo through the room.

"Sorry, excuse me Ladies, duty calls," she said politely. "I'll sign your autographs when I'm done…"

Then a smaller, meeker, female voice.

"Um…Tanya, I think we should leave after this. He hasn't responded to a single email you've sent him and you said he sounded _really_ angry when you called him today."

I stood frozen in my stall.

Could it be _the_ Tanya?

I peaked through the crack in the stall door from where I sat perched on the toilet. Holy shit. It _was_ Tanya. By "He", did she mean Edward? Why would she want to speak with him?

"I know that, _Bree_," Tanya said to the girl. "I just have to talk to him for five minutes, _in public_, so that people can say they saw us talking, even if he doesn't say anything nice. The mags will spin it to seem otherwise."

"But Tanya-"

"Bree!" she hissed. "I pay you to be my assistant, not the annoying gnat you're acting like! And how many times have I told you to call me _Miss Denali_? God, you're so incompetent!"

I'd had enough. There was no fucking way in hell this snooty, conniving bitch was going to get to Edward. Not on my watch.

Flushing the toilet, I burst through my stall door and walked calmly over to the sinks to wash my hands, noticing that there was no one else in the bathroom except for three of us. She probably had a bodyguard waiting outside the bathroom door.

A short girl with long black hair, big brown doe eyes, and no makeup - who didn't even look older than fifteen or sixteen - stood to the left of Tanya, twisting her fingers together and looking like she wanted to cry. I figured that had to be Bree. Two sinks to my left, was the bitch in question, swiping some gooey, orangey-red gloss over her thin lips.

I finished drying my hands and leaned against the sink directly next to Tanya's. She stopped mid gloss-swipe and turned her head to glare at me with her beady blue eyes.

"What the hell are _you_ looking at?" Tanya spat to me.

_Oh, so you ARE a rude bitch in real life, eh? Awesome._

The right side of my lips turned up in a wry smile. "Honestly, I don't know what I'm looking at. I also don't know what Edward ever saw in you. Up close, you're kind of a mess," I replied while crossing my arms over my chest. It was true. Up close her skin was marred with acne scars that she covered up with a thick layer of makeup and her eyes already had tons of lines which were probably from too much tanning. And her body was so skeletal that it made me wonder if she'd eaten any food in the last few days. "Actually, not _kind of_. Plus he was right. You really _are _a heinous bitch."

"_Excuse_ me?" Tanya shrieked. "Who the hell are _you_, his assistant or something?"

"I've got a better question," I countered. "What the hell are you doing here in New Orleans? And why are you bothering Edward, _now_? Haven't you done enough to him already?"

Bree interjected timidly, "Miss Denali is filming a movie here and we-"

"Shut up, Bree," Tanya yelled without looking at her.

My neck instantly felt hot and my hand ached to slap her down. I didn't care how famous she was. Nobody had the right to speak to an employee - or any human being - that way. "I think you owe this poor girl an apology," I told Tanya firmly, gesturing toward Bree with my hand.

"Ha!" Tanya laughed. "And I think you should mind your own business, little girl."

I uncrossed my arms and braced one hand on the edge of her sink and leaned my upper body towards her. "Fine," I said calmly. "Then it's _my_ business to tell you that Edward doesn't want to have anything else to do with you, and if you continue to harass him, I'll _make it_ my business to shove my _foot_ up your _ass_! Do I make myself clear?"

"For your information, sweetie," she countered, "I could care less about Edward."

Shaking my head, I demanded to know, "Then _why_ are you bothering him? Why are you even here?"

"Why do you think?" she said, matter-of-factly. I couldn't possibly know what she meant until she leaned toward me and whispered, "_Publicity… is everything_."

"You're disgusting," I told her in a low voice as I looked her right in the eyes. Sure she was a couple inches taller than me, but that didn't faze me.

She leaned back, looked me up and down and smiled smugly. "Oh…my…_God_…You're fucking him, aren't you." It wasn't a question.

She knew.

And then she started laughing at me and shaking her head. As if I was something humorous or amusing to her.

My jaw flexed, and my fists clenched.

Bree's eyes went wide after she looked at my enraged face and she placed a hand on Tanya's arm. "Miss Denali, I think we should go."

Tanya flinched away from her hand and yelled to her, "Don't touch me you freak!" Then she turned her head back toward me.

"And you," she started, looking down at me as if I were some pathetic child. "How long do you really think you and Edward will last, anyway? You're nothing but a plain little nobody, just like Bree here. Edward may be a talentless whiner, who got lucky because of his good looks and his mediocre voice, but he's still _uber_ famous and he can have _anybody_ he wants. And pretty soon he'll see the kind of power he has. Then what will happen to you, huh? You'll be forgotten, that's what," she stated with a cocky grin.

Yes, obviously Tanya didn't care about Edward. That much was crystal clear. But I on the other hand, did care. And it made me insane with rage to hear her talk about him like that. Her jabs at me were one thing, sure they stung, but I wouldn't let her talk about him that way. Not after what she'd done to him.

"Shut. The fuck. Up," I seethed through clenched teeth. "You don't know _anything_ about him, you stupid whore." My entire body shook with fury.

She didn't even flinch at the term. Instead she laughed through her nose.

"You're _nothing_," Tanya continued to taunt me, poking my chest with her bony little finger, each time a little harder than the previous. "A nobody…a dumpy. Little. _Freak_." On that last word, she pushed me hard and actually managed to make me to teeter back on my ridiculously high heels and then stumble, which caused her to cackle another taunting laugh.

And that's when I finally snapped.

And lunged back at her.

**X-X-X**

I fucked up.

I mean, I _royally_ fucked up.

Not only did I lose my temper, _again_, but I punched a Hollywood starlet in the face. After I tackled Tanya to the bathroom floor, I only got one good punch in to her stupid mouth, before a behemoth of a man burst through the door, and peeled me off of her screaming body.

He dragged me out of the bathroom and out of a side door to the building where the police were handcuffing two guys who had obviously been in a brawl as well. I tried to explain to the officers that I had been provoked, but they didn't want to hear it. The gargantuan man - who I assumed was Tanya's bodyguard or maybe just a bouncer - said nothing, and simply handed me off to the cops before saying a few words to them and going back inside.

The concert was still going on or just ending, and Edward was oblivious to the fact that I was being handcuffed right outside. Surely Emmett would tell him what happened, since he saw me get dragged out of the bathroom. I'd caught a glimpse of his horrified gaping face just before I was placed inside the squad car.

Man…I really fucked up.

**X-X-X**

I sat in my tiny 8X6, grey-brick room, looking at my new roommates and remembering the phone call I'd had to make. It was now after five a.m., but at the time of the phone call, it was two a.m. his time.

My fingers shook as I clicked each number on the silver buttons of the touch-tone pay phone. I gave my name to the automated voice and waited for him to pick up. After six rings, he answered groggily but concerned.

"Bells? Wha…what's going on?" he groused. "And why the hell are you calling me from the Orleans Parish Sheriff's Office?"

"Um…Dad?" My voice trembled with nervousness. I hadn't had to make a call like this since my junior year of High School. And getting suspended from school for three days was nothing compared to this. "I…I got into a fight… and now I'm in jail."

"You _WHAT?_"

**X-X-X**

After a nice cold breakfast of tasteless lumpy oatmeal and grape Kool-Aid, the officer brought me out of my holding cell and directed me to a small room with only a small metal table and two metal chairs. She led me over to one of the chairs and moved my hands behind my back again where she cuffed them tightly, before pushing me down in the seat. I could only stare down at my jeans.

The officer left the room and I waited. And waited. And fucking _waited_. It may have only been ten minutes in actuality, but it felt like ten hours. Finally, the door buzzed open up again and I heard the sounds of heels clicking over the concrete floor. I looked up to find a statuesque blonde entering the room in a tight fitting, frilly red blouse - that made her boobs look perfect - and a long black pencil skirt. She fluidly took a seat and slammed a yellow legal pad down on the desk. Her hard eyes flickered down to the pad, directing me to look there. She seemed to want me to read what was on the notepad.

_Don't talk unless I ask you a question._

_Edward sent me. _

_My name is Rosalie Hale and I'm here to get you out of here. _

_Don't panic._

I let out a relieved breath and nodded my understanding. Edward had sent Rosalie here. She was a lawyer, and she could help me.

She didn't look like she really wanted to help me, however. Her lips were pursed tightly, almost to the point of frowning, and her eyes remained narrowed while she watched me read the paper.

"Miss Swan," she began sharply. "My name is Rosalie Hale and I've been asked to represent you. Are you agreeable to this? Yes or no?"

I knew enough from hearing my dad's cop stories to know that we were most likely being recorded or watched from behind the glass that looked like a mirror. I hadn't said a word when they brought me in initially. My dad always said to ask for a lawyer and don't talk until you get one. But I'd expected my _dad_ to send someone, not Edward. Charlie said he would work on it but that it would most likely take most of the day to arrange for one. I guess I was lucky that Edward knew I was in trouble. Of course, Emmett must have told him. I'll never forget the "Oh Shit" look on Emmett's face.

"Yes," I finally answered.

"Good then. I'd like to ask you a few questions. First of all, a girl who was in the bathroom with you and Miss Denali, says that _Miss Denali_ was the one to put hands on you first and that _Miss Denali _in fact, instigated the entire fight. Is this correct?"

I had to fight to keep from looking like I was in total shock. Bree – Tanya's assistant – had lied for me? I mean, technically_ I _was the one who threw the first actual punch. So that meant that I attacked first, right? Well, except for the fact that Tanya _verbally_ attacked me first. And technically she _had_ put hands on me first when she _shoved_ me…so I guess she _had_ instigated the whole thing. She started it, I simply finished it.

"Yes," I answered.

"So basically, you were just acting out of _self-defense_. Is that correct as well?"

I swallowed. "Yes."

Another thing my dad had taught me – keep your answers short. Don't give up too much information.

"Okay, Miss Swan, one last question. Do you wish to press charges against Miss Denali for battery and assault?"

My brow furrowed and I looked down at my hands in contemplation. Did I want to press charges? If I did it, there would be a huge media shit-storm of epic proportions and she could still probably spin the story to make her look like the good guy. Something in my gut told me to just let it go. Besides, she only managed to dig her fake nails into my arms. It was nothing compared to what I'd done to her bottom lip.

"No," I finally answered.

Rosalie raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure…"

I shook my head. "I don't want to press any charges. I just want to go home."

"Alright, then I think we're done here," she announced with a sigh and rose from her seat. "I should have you out of here within the next half hour. Sit tight and I'll meet you outside the gate after they process your release."

My mind was reeling so badly that I hadn't really understood what she'd just said. I could only think of one thing at that moment.

"Um…Rosalie? Is this going to be on my record now?"

She shook her head. "What record?" she asked with a tiny wink. Then she mouthed, "This never happened." And with that, she knocked on the metal door, it buzzed and unlocked, and she was gone. The last thing I could see was her black six-inch platform heels as she left the room.

I sat there, dumbfounded. From what I understood of the legal system, Tanya's attorney would usually have to question me as well, wouldn't they? And I knew that could take up the rest of the day. So far I'd only been in jail for about seven hours. And now I was going to be released?

_How in the fuck?_

_Was Rosalie really that good?_

Within the next half hour, and true to her word, another officer brought me to another room where she handed me my heels and my other belongings in a zip-lock bag. The other officers didn't say a word to me as they walked me down a long hallway and out a metal door. There was nothing outside except miles of dirt and sidewalk and a silver Volvo at the edge of the curb with a now familiar and scary blonde at the wheel.

Rosalie.

The officer shoved me forward and told me I had fifteen minutes to get off the jail's property or I'd be arrested again.

You didn't have to fucking tell _me_ twice.

I started walking toward the Volvo and at the same time, Rosalie looked up from her phone and over to me before the automatic door locks clicked on the passenger side door. Rap music filled the air as I climbed in and simply stared at her while she glared back at me. She was gorgeous and intimidating as hell. The way she was looking at me forced me to shrink down in my seat.

Plus I would've never figured her to be a girl who liked _rap_. I figured she'd either be into classical music or angry death metal. But there she was, listening to Missy Elliot's _Get Ur Freak on _from her pink IPod that was hooked into the dash.

She lowered the volume of the radio just a tad. "Put your seatbelt on, Bella." Her voice was cold and devoid of emotion. Great. She hated me. Emmett and Edward probably forced her to help me and she probably wanted to smack me herself. She probably thought I was some kind of crazy Jerry Springer show type after hearing what I'd really done from Emmett.

We drove down the road from the jail and out of nowhere, Rosalie started laughing hysterically.

My eyes widened at the sight. I started to think maybe _she_ was the crazy one, until she spoke.

"Dude, I wish I could've seen the look on that whore's face!" Rosalie yelled as she fist-pumped the air and drove with one hand. I smiled as she continued. "Em was right. You _are_ perfect for Edward. God, I just _wish_ I could've been there to see it! Do you even know how long that little bitchy-ass tramp has had a face pounding coming to her?"

I could only shake my head dumbly. I was in utter disbelief of the change in her personality.

Rosalie continued to snicker to herself for two more street lights, until finally her expression became grim. "Bella, you are seriously my hero, but you're also damn lucky that her assistant vouched for you. If she hadn't…I don't think even _I_ would've have been able to spring you. She must've liked you too."

_Too?_

Rosalie liked me. Bree liked me.

_Wait…ROSALIE likes me?_

Edward told me she was the devil in Louis-Bouttins. Hell on heels. He said he'd never seen her smile unless Emmett was with her and that mostly everyone he knew was scared of her.

"Well, I kind of told Tanya to stop being so mean to Bree, among other things…" I explained with a shrug.

She nodded as she continued to drive. "Yeah, well, _Bree's_ probably out of a job now - poor girl."

"Yeah," I agreed glumly. I felt bad that I'd caused that girl to lose her job. She seemed like such a nice girl. Maybe I could help her find work somewhere. I'd have to figure it out later though as it occurred to me that I needed to call my dad. I turned on my phone and dialed the house but it went to voicemail. I left him a message there and then called his cell – which also went to voicemail. I left the same message on his cell – that I was out of jail and would explain everything to him later, and for him to call me back. He was probably out on patrol or something. My battery was getting low though, so I turned it off again and asked Rosalie if she could take me to Edward's hotel.

"We have a stop to make, first," she said. But before I could ask where we were going, she whipped the car into an underground parking garage, drove down to the lowest level, and parked to the right of a big black SUV.

Before I could even get my seatbelt completely off, my door was wrenched open and I was pulled up into familiar strong arms and comforted by the smell of cigarettes, mint, and Edward. I sank against his body and buried my head into his neck while he buried his face in my hair.

"Edward," I whispered. He pulled back and attacked my mouth with his, pinning me against the side of the car.

"Jesus," Emmett whined. "Get a room!"

They all started laughing as I pulled back to meet Edward's worried expression. He held my face between his hands and looked me over before kissing me again. Sure, I had a few questions for him – like why the hell didn't he tell me that Tanya had been calling him or e-mailing him or whatever – but I decided to save that for later.

When he pulled back again, he had a weird look in his eyes that I couldn't place. It was the same look he'd given me before he left again for the tour. Like he wanted to tell me something but couldn't or didn't know how. It made my stomach flutter with nervousness and I smiled in reflex. Edward smirked in return and his eyes flitted all over my face.

"So…" I started. "You're not mad at me for going Jerry Springer on your ex?"

His smile immediately fell and my heart sank. He looked over toward Carlisle and Emmett and then back to me. The look of disappointment in his face sent my stomach straight down into my toes.

"Bella, why didn't you just walk away from her? She's not worth it. And now you've started this whole media circus… You should've just walked away."

_Oh fuck_. _It must've somehow gotten to the press already_. I'd ruined his reputation totally made him look bad.

But wait a minute. What did this really have to do with him if no one knew we were a couple?

I became angry and stiffened in his grasp.

"Well, excuse me for screwing things up for you. I was only trying to defend your honor back there. Not to mention my own."

Edward sighed. "Look, Bella…I told you that once the media gets wind of us, they'll never stop bothering you. And now it's only a matter of time until they put together the mug shot and the name to the Magazine and-"

"Wait…_mug shot?_"

He looked over to Rosalie and growled, "You didn't tell her?"

She turned her head to look away from us and shook it as if she were exasperated.

"Tell me what?" I demanded.

Edward looked back to me and shook his head as well. "Your mug shot is all over the internet, Bella. The whole fight is being talked about by every news outlet. You just…I mean I guess I understand why you did it but…"

_Oh fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck...FUCK!_

My _mug shot_ and my name. Everywhere.

I started to freak out. My knees buckled a little and I gasped as the realization hit me.

Everyone on the planet was now aware that I'd opened a case of Whoop-ass on America's sweetheart. People were probably plotting my demise as we stood there in that very parking garage. Not to mention what the big-wigs at The Stone would think of the situation and…

_HOLY FUCK! MY JOB!_

I pushed away from Edward and began pacing the concrete as my heart leapt out of my chest and my palms began to sweat. "…" I rambled as I paced through the empty parking garage.

When I finally stopped pacing, I saw that Carlisle was standing at the back of the big black SUV with his lips pressed together like he was about to crack up laughing at any moment. Rosalie was looking over at Emmett with her arms crossed over her chest, shaking her head at Emmett who was bent over with his elbows on his knees, trying to stifle his laughter as well.

My head whipped back toward Edward who was looking at me with a shit-eating grin on his face.

I glared at him. "You all think this shit is funny? I'll be unemployed by sundown, you assholes!"

Suddenly Emmett couldn't contain himself any longer. He took one look at me and fell down on the ground, his large muscular body - rolling with guffaws. Carlisle was hanging from the back door-handle and giggling like a little girl. Edward was cackling the loudest of all of them. I wanted to line them up against the wall and donkey-kick all three of them in the balls.

My jaw dropped at the scene before me. Just what in the fuck had gotten into these assholes? I stood there in utter shock.

Finally, Rosalie had the good sense to end the madness. She walked past Edward and smacked him on the back of the head. "You guys are dicks," she announced. "I told you not to pull this shit… Fuckers."

Edward was still chortling on and rubbing the back of his head while she made her way to where I stood and placed her hands firmly on my shoulders. "Bella, they're just kidding. Nobody has seen your mug shot. Not yet, anyway. I already took care of it with the jail. And Edward spoke to Tanya right when she came out of the bathroom and she's not going to say anything to the media about what really happened because he threatened to tell the world what she did to him, among other things he knows about her. _People Magazine_ would only be too happy to have that story, and she knows it. She's already told the media that it was all a misunderstanding and that she fell on the wet floor in the bathroom and hit her face on the sink."

Oh…Ok, I was sort of wondering how she was going to explain her busted up lip, courtesy of _Moi's_ fist.

I looked back to Edward and narrowed my eyes. "You _knew_ all of this and you let me think otherwise?"

He shoved his hands in the pockets of his black jeans and shrugged. "Well, it was sort of a joke... uh… I thought it would be a good payback?" he replied, sheepishly. "You know…for um…" He cleared his throat, obviously referring to our flirty little payback game that we had started back in my bedroom before he'd left for the tour.

I was completely livid. What a fucking dumbass he was. I stormed past all of them and jumped back into the passenger side of the Volvo, then pounded my fist down on the door's lock. Edward opened the driver's side and poked his head down and inside.

"Hey," he said in a soft voice. "You're supposed to ride with _me_ now."

With my arms already crossed tightly over my chest, I turned my head to look out my side window. "I'm not going anywhere with _you_. Please ask Rosalie to get back in the car."

"Bella, I was just messing with you. I'm _sorry_," he pleaded.

I didn't budge.

Instead, I continued to stare out the window, focusing on a red Toyota Prius that was four spaces down and had scratch along the rear fender. I kept on staring with my jaw flexed tight, until I heard the door lightly close again. A minute later, it opened again and someone climbed in. I could smell her perfume and so I knew it was Rosalie. She started the car without another word and I focused my attention on the door handle so that I wouldn't see Edward's face because I knew if I did, I'd cave.

I mean seriously, I just went to jail for the guy and he thought _now_ was the time to play pranks? What a dick - no, not just a dick, an imbecilic ass-hair. Yeah, that about summed it up for the moment.

"Could you take me to Carlisle's hotel?" I asked her. "He can just get my shit from Edward's hotel for me."

She eyeballed me skeptically for a moment and then answered, "Sure thing," before flicking the volume up on the radio and bumping Lil' Kim's _How Many Licks_ throughout the interior of the vehicle as she backed the car up and then sped out of the parking garage.

We drove for at least twenty minutes, going through city street after city street, one stop light after another, until we ended up at some lavish hotel. I remembered name of the hotel on the key-card Carlisle had given me the day before and now realized that Rosalie had taken me to Edward's hotel instead of Carlisle's. She wasn't going to let me avoid him.

Damn it.

I gave her a pointed look, but when she shot me a challenging eyebrow in return, I folded. I wasn't about to bitch_ her_ out. No way.

As she drove the car toward the lobby area, I noticed she stopped at the curb-side drop off area instead of the valet.

"You'll wait here while I get my suitcase, right?" I asked.

She looked over to me and smirked. "Bella, trust me when I say that your boyfriend is a complete and utter moron. But…I know he didn't mean anything by that stupid little prank of his. He _really_ cares for you." Rosalie laughed through her nose and shook her head. "You should've seen him this morning. He was practically on his knees begging me to get you out of there. I never thought I'd see the day when he groveled at my feet like that. _And_ he flew me out here by_ private jet_, so… you tell me."

I turned in my seat toward her and changed the subject. "Speaking of which, thank you so much for your help. I don't know what I would've done."

She waved me off with one hand while running her fingers through her long blonde hair with the other to get the nonexistent snarls out. "It's no big deal, trust me. They really didn't have anything to hold you on since that Bree girl came to your defense."

"Right," I mumbled, looking down at my hands. Man, I had been so fucking lucky that the media hadn't really gotten wind of this yet.

"Well, you better get up there before he wears a hole in the hotel carpet with all his pacing," she said, smiling, before handing me a business card. "I'm sure we'll see each other again under different circumstances, but just hold onto that card in case you ever need my help again or…anything."

It seemed like she was hinting to something else with both parts of that statement, but I couldn't figure out what so I changed the subject.

"Are you planning on visiting Emmett in New York soon? Maybe we could have lunch together or something?" I offered.

"Actually, I just finished shipping all our stuff to our new house in Queens, so I'm sure I'll be seeing a lot more of you."

"You're moving to New York? But I thought your firm was in Chicago." _Shouldn't they be living there?_

She blushed and nodded. "It was, but since Em and I are getting married soon, we figured we should live in the same state," she giggled. "And since he's with Edward all the time, and Edward lives in New York…"

"That's so sweet, Rosalie."

She waved me off again. "Yeah, I know… Isn't it crazy, the shit we go through for love?" she grinned. "Besides, I've always wanted to say that I lived in New York at least once in my life and when they offered me a spot at the new firm in New York last month, everything just seemed to click into place. And I'd _really_ like to retire my dildo collection for awhile if you know what I'm sayin."

I snickered. "Well, I'll definitely call you for lunch when I get back home. Maybe I could come to the new house and help you unpack your boxes or something while the guys finish up the tour."

Rosalie smiled just a little, nodded slightly and put her big black sunglasses back on. It didn't seem like she was going to reply, so I simply got out of the car. I couldn't figure out what was up with her. It almost seemed like she really didn't believe that I would call her for lunch. She was an interesting person, that one. I really wanted to know what else was hiding behind that tough exterior.

She sped off without another glance in my direction.

Upon entering the glamorous lobby of the Chateau Bourbon, I was so distracted by the few paparazzi near the entrance that I almost tripped and fell into the fountain inside the lobby. A freaking huge fountain in the lobby. Seriously.

They paid me no attention as they smoked cigarettes and laughed about some story that I didn't hear the details of.

I took the hotel key card out of my back pocket and glanced at the room number, before heading for the elevators. The ride up to the fourth floor was so quick that I didn't even have time to think of what I was going to say to Edward. I was still pissed at him.

After getting off the elevator and stalking down the hallway, I found the appropriate room, and slid the key card in until it clicked. I'd expected the room to be empty, but there they were – the three fucking stooges – all standing in the middle of the large room, gaping in my direction.

Emmett seemed to take a step back as I propelled my feet forward and stalked past all three of them without a word. Carlisle cleared his throat and kept his eyes on the floor. I could feel Edward's stare, but I didn't look at him. I found my suitcase near the large closet and pulled it into the huge bathroom, slamming the door behind me and turning on the shower. As I brushed my teeth, I looked at myself in the mirror and cringed at my frizzy hair. Then I rolled my eyes, spat out the remaining toothpaste and stripped off my clothes before stepping into the shower.

I felt like _maybe_ I was overreacting, but at the same time I didn't. Did he really think the joke was funny, and was he really upset with me for kicking Tanya's ass? It looked like he was. Did he not see that I did it for him as well as for myself? Did he think I had acted immaturely? Or was he worried that I'd hurt her? Why would he be mad that I'd punched her? His previous words echoed through my mind.

_You should've just walked away._

After everything I'd been through – going to jail for Christ's sake – he had the audacity to be unhappy with _me_?

Uh no. Hell no.

I squeezed the stupid fucking shampoo he liked so damned much, harshly into my hands and then scrubbed it through my hair as the hot spray of the shower seemed to wash away some of the stress that rolled through my body. Once I was completely clean from head to toe, I leaned my hands against the tiles and stood under the hot water and steam for what felt like an eternity.

And then for some fucked up reason, I lost it and began to cry. I felt guilty for letting my anger get the better of me once again. I felt stupid for getting myself into this fucked up situation where I could possibly lose my job. But mostly I felt hurt that I didn't have Edward's support in the matter.

I kept trying to stop crying and tell myself that it was no big deal and that it didn't matter if Edward was mad at me or not for what I'd done. But it didn't help. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look of disappointment on his face and I seemed to cry harder. He was right to be ashamed of me. I wasn't good for him.

Suddenly the shower door opened and I was startled when I looked up to see Edward standing there watching me with worry etched across his face. Without a word, he stepped into the shower – clothes and all – and pulled me into his strong, comforting embrace. At that moment, I couldn't find it in me to be angry with him anymore for his practical joke. He was holding me firmly while I cried into his t-shirt-soaked chest and I held onto his back, letting it all go.

I cried.

And cried.

Seriously, it was fucking ridiculous. I'd like to blame it on my birth control shot and crazy hormones. But I didn't even know if that was a good enough excuse for my emotional outburst.

When I finally felt like I didn't want to cry anymore, I looked up to his blazing green eyes. He seemed so concerned.

"Baby," he started. "I'm so sorry for that stupid prank. I don't know what the fuck I was thinking. I just…I thought it would be funny…" He sighed and put one hand on my cheek. "It was fucking stupid. _I'm_ stupid."

"I understand why you're mad at me," I choked out. "I'm not good for your reputation. I shouldn't be with you. I-"

"Bella," he said firmly. "Baby, I could give a flying fuck about my reputation. And I wasn't mad at you for what you did. I just didn't want you anywhere near her. She's fucking poisonous, Bella."

He didn't care about his reputation. He wasn't embarrassed of me.

And he truly was sorry.

That's all I needed to hear.

Nodding, I tucked my head back against his chest and looked down to watch the water pool around our feet. His grey Dickies pants were completely soaked and clinging to his body and bare feet, as was his black t-shirt. I looked up again while he held my face. I could see it in his gaze that he was sorry.

Edward really did care about me. More than I realized before.

I blinked at the realization just as I also realized that we were alone in the shower and the water was making his wet clothes stick to his body, showing off every defined muscle in his shoulders, biceps and chest. I felt my face flush and my eyelids droop as the water trickled down his strong jaw and off of his angular chin.

He must've noticed the change in my eyes because _his_ eyes flickered down to my naked body and he swallowed thickly. I rose up on my toes and touched my lips to his. He kissed me carefully as if he wasn't sure I really wanted to be in that shower with him.

"Bella, I'm trying really, _really_ hard not to be a horny asshole right now, but after being on a tour bus full of smelly guys for two weeks and then seeing you naked…" He cleared his throat. "I should get out of here and let you finish your shower." He started to take a step away, but I tightened my grip on his shoulders to still him before I brushed my stomach against his jean-covered hard-on. His grip on my hips tightened slightly and his eyes rolled back before he closed them tightly. _"Fuck," _he whispered through gritted teeth.

Wanting to reassure him that I was not angry with him anymore, I lowered my arms and pulled up on the hem of his shirt. He had to let go of me and help me get it off because it was soaking wet but once it was off, it hit the tile floor with a loud smacking sound. He continued to look unsure, so I reached for the button of his pants and he placed his hands on my wrists to stop me. I looked up at him and gave him a small smile before rising up on my toes to kiss him again.

Once I claimed his tongue with my own, he relaxed and let go of my wrists so that I could get his pants open and push them down along with his boxer briefs. Again he had to help me because they were stuck to his body, but once they were free from around his ankles, he kicked them to the side and pulled me roughly back to him, grinding his hard naked body against mine and devouring my mouth with his.

It wasn't long before he'd picked me up and wrapped my legs around his waist while pinning me against the tile wall and entered me in one fluid motion. I cried out and held onto his broad shoulders while he slowly drove into me over and over again. For a split second I worried that Carlisle and Emmett were still in the room outside the bathroom, and wondered if they could hear us panting and grunting. But then Edward moaned loudly and I figured that if they were too stupid to realize what we were doing…well, tough fucking luck for them.

"Fuck, Bella," Edward rasped in my ear. "You feel _so_ good."

I don't know what I said in response because it didn't come out as any word I recognized from the English language. When he talked into my ear like that during sex, it was like nothing I could explain. It drove me insane with want.

"So good," he whispered before groaning. "I'll never be able to get enough of you. Never. I…Fuck!"

"Harder, Edward," I moaned.

He easily complied with my demand, slamming into me until I felt the bite of the hard tile against my bare ass. I leaned my head forward until I was sucking on his neck and he groaned then slammed into me harder if that were even possible. I cried out in pain this time because it was suddenly _too_ hard and so he backed off. My eyes snapped open when I felt him trying to lower me to the ground and pull out of me at the same time. I started to protest, but then he smiled cockily and slid down my body until his face was between my legs.

_Oh…_

Edward brought my left leg up over his shoulder and held me firmly by the ass while he dove right in with his mouth and began to lick and suck at my tender flesh. It was less than a minute later that I was mewling and writhing like a dirty little hooker, chanting and gasping his name over and over. Once I finally stopped shaking from my orgasm, his head came back up and he smiled that smug smile that had once pissed me off to no end.

I was still gasping for breath as he stood up all the way and spun me around until I was facing away from him. He pulled me into his chest and murmured in my ear, "Are you alright?"

"Yes," I whispered and nodded my head while he ground himself into my backside.

"Do you want me to stop?"

"No," I gasped.

He moved us back a few steps and then put his hands on mine before moving my hands up the tile so that I was bracing myself against the wall. As he placed open-mouthed kisses down my back, he gently pushed on my back as if telling me to bend over and my eyes went wide.

I was not looking for any _back-door action_. I'd never done _that_ with any guy and never planned to either. In fact, I'd once considered tattooing the words _Exit Only_ on my ass just to make it clear that the area was off limits.

My body tensed until I felt his hand reach between my legs and stroke my clit. Then I breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't looked for the back door either.

The next thing I knew I was close to coming again and his hand disappeared. As I stood bent over and panting, he leaned over me, lined himself up with my entrance once again before plunging in again. Edward moaned in my ear when he was all the way in again and my eyes rolled back. I was still a little sore, but not complaining at all. He moved his hips back and forth slowly while one hand reached around to palm my breast and the other went back to my clit.

"Oh God," I rasped. "Edward, I'm close again. Shit!"

It seemed to spur him on because he didn't relent on my clit and he picked up his pace. A moment later I clenched down on him and felt him grow impossibly harder inside me before he bit down on my shoulder and came hard with almost a growl.

My vision darkened momentarily until he stood us both up and slowly pulled out of me. My legs felt like jelly and my crotch was raw as hell and throbbing. But when he turned me around again and captured my mouth with a long gentle kiss, all I could think of was how much I loved this man, imbecilic ass-hair tendencies and all.

**X-X-X**

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**A/N: Part 2 is already written but I have a few tweaks to make so it should be up on Monday. I have one question though. Would you guys be seriously pissed if Bella flashes her boobies at Mardi Gras? Erm...I'm pretty sure Edward would be pissed. How bout you? Just curious...**

**Oh, and I wrote a lil one-shot for the Spank-the-Monkey Contest. The voting period has already ended, but you can still view the story by clicking on my author name. The story is called Midnight Sin. Let me know what you think. It was fun to write.**

**Much more drama to come with this story and we'll hear from papa Charlie in the next chapter... see y'all Monday(unless that damned gremlin shows up again...) ;)**


	12. Chapter 12

**Disclaimer: **SM owns Twilight, I own this crazy plot.

**A/N: Ok guys, here's the next chapter, or rather...continuation of the last chapter. ***Warning*** I'm telling you now that there's sort of a cliffie at the end of this, or what I like to call "An ominous feeling", so if you don't like that, go ahead and come back to this story at a later time. I'll understand completely. :)**

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**Chapter Song:** "1,2,3,4 (I love you)" – Plain White T's

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**Chapter 12 – Fucked up phone-calls, Mardi Gras Stand-offs, and Something to Sing About**

We lay together in Edward's hotel bed that afternoon and talked about his shows and what his schedule was going to be like once he got into the studio to record another album.

Long hours and late nights.

He promised he would try to make time for us as much as possible. The label had at least agreed to let Edward record in a studio in New York, and near his apartment. He wouldn't have to be in L.A. to do it. I could at least take comfort in that.

We laughed about how earlier we'd crept out of the shower after our romp to find an empty hotel room. He'd said that Carlisle and Emmett were still there when he'd entered the bathroom to check on me, but must've gotten a clue somewhere along the line.

"Oh my God," I whined after the fact. "They heard us? I'll never be able to look either of them in the eyes again."

Edward shook his head and laughed. "You don't know _how many times_ I've walked in on Emmett and Rosalie - couches…bathrooms…kitchens… _my _kitchen, even. Ugh. Those two are like jackrabbits and I think Emmett gets a kick out my embarrassment over it."

"Yeah, I guess now you guys are even," I joked.

He shuddered. "Not even close."

We both laughed. In fact we were still laughing when my phone started playing, _"Bad boys, bad boys…whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when they come for you…"_

I'd plugged it in to charge and turned it on earlier before Edward and I had climbed into bed to watch movies while waiting for the later Mardi gras celebrations. We were supposed to leave in a couple hours to go have dinner with Carlisle, Emmett and Rosalie beforehand.

But I had completely forgotten to call my dad back and let him know I was alright and out of the pokey.

_Shit._

I leaned over an unplugged my BlackBerry from the charger before accepting the call.

"Dad?"

"_Bells? What the hell is going on? I called into the station there and they said you'd already been released. I thought you said you got into some huge fight. Where are you? How long ago did you get out?"_

"Dad, calm down. I'm alright. I left you two messages… Everything's been taken care of, it was just a big misunderstanding, I'm in a hotel with Edward and everything is fine now. I'm sorry for calling you and worrying you but I didn't know that-"

"_Wait, wait, wait…Who the hell is Edward?"_ he demanded.

Oh…double shit. He was going to be so pissed that I didn't call him and tell him about Edward at all.

I looked over to Edward where he watched me with one eyebrow raised and his lip turned up on one side. He was lying right next to me and could hear everything my dad was saying. He seemed to love the fact that I was squirming. Thanks a lot, Romeo.

I rolled my eyes. "Um…Edward is…sort of…my friend?" I looked at Edward to see him _again_ raising one eyebrow and adding an '_Oh really?'_ head tilt. Yeah I knew he was more than just a friend, but my dad didn't need to have this information. Not just yet anyway.

"_A friend," _my dad continued, skeptically_. "And are we talking a friend like Jake?"_

Ok, he was asking me if Edward was gay.

"Uh…no, Dad. Not like Jake."

There was a long pause.

"_Humph. So you're telling me that you're in a hotel room with some guy named Edward, who's just a friend, eh?"_

"Yep." Better to keep this short and sweet. Then he wouldn't ask-

"_What's his last name and where is he from?"_

Damnit.

"Uh…"

"_Bells? WHAT is his LAST name?_

"Dad, I'm not a little girl anymore, I can take care of myself! And what's with the police interrogation, huh?"

"_I don't give a monkey's left nut how old you are, Bella! I'm your father and I want to know what this guy's full name is!"_

"Why? So you can run a background check on him or show up at his place in your uniform to scare the shit out of him with your gun, or do something _even worse_ to embarrass me? Forget it!"

"_Isabella Marie Swan, I've just spent half the day on the phone with-"_

My phone was suddenly ripped from my hand and I looked over to see that Edward had grabbed the phone from me and moved to the other side of the bed so that I couldn't hear my dad's ranting voice.

"Hello, Chief Swan. This is Edward Masen, speaking. I want to assure you that Bella is perfectly safe with me, Sir and….Yes, Sir, that's me…Chicago, yes…"

Edward looked so confident at first, as if he thought my dad would be putty in his hands.

But then…

I noticed when his smile fell and his mouth opened to gape like a fish.

"Uh…Yes, Sir." Edward stammered. There was a long pause before he spoke again. "I'm her boyfriend, Sir."

Then it was my turn to gape. He told my father that he was my boyfriend. Yeah, I know I said that I didn't need our relationship to have a label, but it still felt good to hear him say it for some reason. It sent a thrill through my body.

Was it wrong of me to do a little happy dance in my head?

"Um, yes, Sir," Edward murmured. "No, Sir. I will, Sir."

With his face suddenly pale and his expression grim, Edward handed the phone back to me, then got up and went to the balcony. As I put the phone back to my ear, I heard my dad mumbling something about a '_cocky-ass, Eddie Haskell motherfucker'_ before I cut him off.

"Dad," I hissed. "What did you say to him?"

"_I told him he better take good care of you and treat you respectfully, or he'd be playing guitar with his remaining two fingers from the bottom of the Lake Crescent, that's what!"_

"_Dad!_ Wait…did you say…How did you know he played guitar?"

My dad laughed. _"What, you think I don't know who this ass-clown is? I know all and see all, Bella. You know that. And besides, Sue's always bringing those damn gossip magazines home from the salon. Leaves em' all over the coffee table."_

Sue Clearwater was a hairstylist and she was also my dad's second wife, and my stepmother. She wasn't a bad lady at all and I guess I should consider myself lucky that I could've gotten a worse stepmother, but I just never warmed up to her for some reason.

"He's not like what you've read, Dad. He's actually a good guy."

"_Riiiight. Sure he is."_

"Dad…"

Charlie sighed. _"Fine, fine. So do you need me to do anything else with this, or do I still need to hire you a lawyer?"_

"I'm good, Dad. Everything is fine now."

"_Okay kid, but seriously, you really need to get a handle on that temper of yours."_

"Yeah, like _you_ should be preaching about that," I shot back. Where the hell did he think I got my temper from exactly? It wasn't from my saintly _'Don't step on the ants, Bella, they have feelings too'_ mother, that's for sure. I couldn't tell you how many times Charlie Swan had almost been in trouble at work for using _'excessive force'_ - always with domestic disturbance calls. If he had to go haul an abusive husband in, he had a hard time putting them _'nicely'_ into the squad car.

My dad cleared his throat. _"So, how long have you been dating this punk?"_

And changed the subject. Again. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt, Charlie.

"His _name_ is Edward, he's not a punk, and it's been…about a month," I replied then pulled my bottom lip between my teeth.

"_Hrmph."_

Clearly, he was not impressed.

"_A month. And you're already off gallivanting across the country with this…Edward? How well could you really know him in a month?"_

I groaned. "Dad, can we talk about this later? I've had a long twenty-four hours."

"_Fine,"_ he countered. _"But we are NOT done with this conversation."_

"Okay," I whispered, embarrassed and defeated. Jesus. Here I was, twenty-four and still getting grilled by my father.

"_Love you, Kid."_

"Love you too, Dad."

He hung up and I sank back against the pillows on the bed and let out a relieved breath. Convincing my dad that Edward was something other than what was printed on paper was going to be the task of the century and I was not looking forward to it. If I were dating a normal guy it would be hard enough, but dating a celebrity who had a bad reputation for sleeping around and hard partying…yeah, that was going to make things extremely difficult on the Charlie Swan front.

Edward was still out on the balcony, so I got up off the bed and went outside to join him, just as he was coming back inside. We bumped right into each other and I smiled. His posture was a little tense and I became concerned.

"Your dad hates me already," he mumbled sadly.

I rolled my eyes and reached up on my toes to kiss him. "My dad hates _every_ guy who dates his daughter. Don't worry about it," I murmured against his lips.

It took a minute or two for Edward to loosen up again and kiss me back.

Just as we started to make out once again, and as if my day wasn't already thirty-one flavors of fucked up, my phone started going crazy from where it sat on top of the bed. I recognized the song immediately. I'd set it up to play- _The Imperial March_ from Star Wars. You know…Darth Vader's song?

James.

Shit. I know most people hate getting calls from their boss, but I _really_ hated talking to mine.

I cringed as I heard the melody float through the room.

_Dun..dun..dun… dun-DA-dun…dun-DA-dun…_

"Who is _that_?" Edward asked with a chuckle as I started to pull myself out of his grasp.

"It's James, my boss," I sighed, begrudgingly.

Edward released me and I stalked over to the bed and answered it.

"Bella Swan, speaking."

"_Isabella, this is James."_

_No shit, Sherlock._

"Hi Mr. Tracker. What can I do for you?"

"_Oh that's a very loaded question, Miss Swan."_

_Ew._ This innuendo shit really needed to stop. I knew there were laws against him talking to me like that, but I always shrugged it off because it just seemed like I would never really be able to prove anything when it came down to it. It would surely be his word against mine and I had no proof or witnesses. But now it was really starting to bother me and I wanted it to stop. I'd already told him several times that I wasn't interested, but he obviously wasn't getting the hint. Maybe I could talk to Rosalie about that and see if she could do anything.

I cleared my throat and tried again, this time with more edge to my voice. "Sir, was there something you needed to discuss with me?"

"_As a matter of fact, there is. You see, I received a very worried phone call today…"_

"From?"

"_It's not really important WHO it was from. What's important is WHAT the phone call was about."_

What the fuck was he being so damn cryptic about? Who called him, and what did they say that he felt the need to call me?

"Sir, I'm not sure I follow."

"_Well then let me be a little clearer about this. I KNOW what you did. At the venue last night…"_

My stomach plummeted and my face paled. He knew. I turned my body and sank down to sit on the edge of the bed. Edward crossed the room in three long strides and sat next to me with concern marring his features.

"H-how do you know?"

"_That's none of your concern, Isabella. But, lucky for you, I've decided to be generous, ONCE AGAIN, and let you keep your job. But this time, there's one condition."_

"And that is?"

"_I NEED that Masen interview and I know you can get it."_

I shook my head. "Sir, I can't force him to do the interview. He won't-"

"_Awww…that's a shame. I guess I'll have to go talk to my boss…he won't like this…"_

"Wait!" I looked over to Edward and pleaded with my eyes for him to understand what was going on without my telling him as I spoke again. "I'll…I'll try to talk to him again about doing the interview."

Edward looked at me with confusion and mouthed, "What?" and I held up one finger for him to wait.

"_Mmmm…that's more like it,"_ James cooed. His low deep voice reminded me of this guy who got arrested in Forks when I was fourteen. The guy worked as a janitor at my school and got the phone list out of Mrs. Cope's desk, then started making extremely dirty prank calls to the girls in my class. Caller ID fucked his life up when he made the mistake of calling Chief Swan's daughter from his cell phone. In the middle of the guy's rant about his supposed nine-inch dick, I'd handed the phone over to my dad so he could deal with it. It didn't end well for the janitor. The idiot didn't even have the sense to use a pay phone. Dumbass.

"_I really hope you can convince him, Isabella, because it would be a shame to see you go,"_ James continued.

I stayed silent.

"_Don't make me wait too much longer, Isabella."_ His words seemed to have double meaning as he chuckled slightly at the end of his sentence.

"Yes, Sir," I murmured, and the call went dead, along with my heart.

The look on my face must've said it all because Edward used his finger to pull my chin up so he could look at my face.

"What the hell did he say to you?" Edward gritted out.

I shook my head. "Somehow he knows about me hitting Tanya and he said that if I don't get you to do the interview, he'll tell his boss and I'll lose my job."

"Can he fucking do that?"

Shrugging was the only answer I could give.

"I'll do it, then," Edward said simply. There was not even the slightest delay in his answer. To him there was no other solution. To me it felt like impending doom. If he did the interview with Victoria, she'd do something out of line. I just knew it, and the thought sickened me. So I tried to reason with him.

"But-"

"No buts," he interrupted with an edge to his voice. "I'm doing the interview, Bella. Just call Alice or who-the-fuck-ever, and set it up. I don't want that guy James holding shit over your head like that."

I let out a harsh breath and looked down at my hands where they twirled my phone around in my lap. Edward moved his hand between mine and slipped his right hand into my left, stilling my twirling.

"Hey," he said softly. "What's wrong?"

Again I shrugged. "It's not that I don't trust you with Victoria, because I do, it's just…she's so…_slutty_. I just know she's going to do something…with you and it makes me crazy." It was true. I really wasn't worried at that point that he'd do the same thing Riley had done to me. Victoria on the other hand…_no. _

"Well, unfortunately for Victoria, I prefer crazy brunettes with hot asses that like to beat people up," he joked. The twinkle in his eye mad me laugh through my nose.

I shoved my shoulder into his and smiled. He dipped his head down and captured my lips to his. "It'll be fine, Bella," he murmured against my lips. "I won't let her even hug me, I promise." Nodding my head, I felt him smile before he took my phone from my other hand and tossed it behind us on the bed and used his body to push me down against the mattress.

All discussions of interviews and red-headed bitches were forgotten as he ran his hand under the hem of my shirt and palmed my breast.

Clothes were stripped off, skin was licked and hair was pulled as we came together once again. Names were screamed and promises of "I only want _you_" were made. Before long, the sun had started to set and we had fallen into a post-sex haze. Edward called Carlisle and told him we'd be skipping out on dinner with them. We ordered room service instead because we just didn't seem to be able to leave the room. He kissed my shoulder and that sweet spot on my neck every time I even thought about getting up from the bed.

Edward also kept looking at me with that funny expression that was becoming more frequent. He seemed like he wanted to tell me something so badly. I wanted to know what he was thinking, but at the same time I didn't because I was afraid it was something bad.

It was just after six in the evening when we stood in the vast bathroom and Edward pulled two masks out of his suitcase and smiled as he handed me mine. It was a white feathery, glittery mask with tiny bright jewels that looked like little diamonds and gems sprinkled all over it. The mask only covered my eyes. It was beautiful and I slipped it on over my eyes just before he bent down to kiss me quickly.

We laughed because the jewels and glitter on the mask scratched against his face.

Then he pulled three larger masks out of his suitcase for himself. He wanted my opinion on which one to wear for the night. The first one was a complete replica of the mask from the movie "V for Vendetta". It was a guy's face with a black mustache, thick black brows and a cocky smirk, and it was creepy as hell. I nixed that one right off the bat and he laughed and chucked it into the trash.

The next one was another full face mask that was all silver with black and silver filigree on the sides and a big black pirate looking hat on top. The facial expression on the mask was almost blank. It would look like Edward was an emotionless robot all night.

I shrugged and he rolled his eyes before tearing it off and showing me the last one.

As soon as I saw it, I knew it was the one he should wear for the night. It was black and gold with a closed mouth smile on it, but the best part was the jester hat on top. If that didn't fit Edward to a tee, I didn't know what would. I grinned and grabbed it from his hands before slipping it over his head. It covered his whole face and even his hair, and you couldn't tell it was him at all. That part sucked because now I wouldn't get to look at his face all night, but I knew it was necessary.

"I was hoping you'd pick this one," he laughed from behind the mask as I adjusted it to his face.

"Yeah," I laughed. "Too bad it's a full face mask though…now I can't kiss you all night."

Edward ripped the mask off his face and smiled, wiggling his eyebrows. "That's why I asked Carlisle to bring me a pair of scissors," he explained, whipping out said scissors and proceeding to cut the mouth and chin portion off.

He pulled the mask back on and tucked his hair under the jester hat, then threw on his black hoodie over his white tee. We both figured that black would be the most inconspicuous thing he could wear for the night. Amazingly, you still couldn't tell who he was now that his mouth was uncovered, but I knew. I knew that mouth very well.

I knew we'd be doing a shit-load of walking along the parade route, so I wore my chucks and a pair of skinny jeans with a cream-colored, long-sleeve v-neck sweater. After I finished curling my hair, I pulled my mask back on over my face and we slipped out of the hotel room, hand in hand, then down a back stairwell where a cab waited for us on a side-street.

It felt kind of cool to be sneaking around like covert spies, but I figured Edward probably did that kind of shit all the time.

The cab took us to the Uptown New Orleans and dropped us off on the corner of St. Charles and Napoleon Ave. Edward had asked the driver to take us to the Mardi Gras parade and the driver had replied, "Which one, Buddy? There's parades all over this place!"

So Edward told him to just pick the best one and he'd give him an extra hundred bucks. The cabbie more than happily complied and got us to the celebration with little delay. As we exited the cab, the sounds of the swarms of people cheering and screaming filled the air. I could also hear what sounded like a marching band playing around the corner.

There was a pub just up ahead of us and to our right, so we made our way down the sidewalk and decided to go into the pub and have a drink.

An hour and several strong beers later, we exited the pub and joined the festivities as we walked along the sidewalk. There were people up in the balconies and on the roofs of the buildings, throwing colored bead necklaces and gold plastic coins down to the people below. Giant, brightly-colored floats filled the dark streets, making it look like a Macy's Thanksgiving parade on crack.

There were also tons of people in costumes and masks on those floats, and some were also half-naked. All along the sides of some of the floats, there were people with flaming torches. It was like nothing I'd ever seen in my life. And I'd seen some crazy shit in college. Everyone was having so much fun that the craziness seemed contagious.

"_We_ don't have any beads yet!" Edward announced beside me. "We need beads!"

"Um…" I started and pointed to some girls who were showing off their ta-ta's for beads. And since I was pretty tipsy and I knew we were unrecognizable with our masks on, I started to pull up the hem of my sweater.

Hey, when in Rome…

Edward put his hands on mine to still them and shook his head. "Oh….no. Nuh-uh. Nobody else gets to see those babies but me," he said firmly. His jaw was set and it didn't seem like he was fucking around. I held perfectly still because I couldn't believe he'd just said that to me. Then he turned toward the floats and unzipped his hoodie. The crowd above us got louder. When he lifted his t-shirt up to his neck, it sounded like one of his concerts with all the shrieking and screaming that followed.

I didn't really like seeing all those girls fawn all over him like that, but it was just part of the celebration, so I shrugged it off.

Beads flew at us from every direction, but he still ended up with only four or five necklaces since some landed too far out of his grasp. The other problem was that there were more men in the crowds than women.

I was going to have to handle this shit whether he liked it or not.

I reached for my sweater hem again, and got as far as flashing my stomach, when Edward pulled the sweater back down.

"Hey," he growled. "I thought I told you no!"

Oh, so he could flash his chest, but I couldn't? And I didn't like the way he was treating me like a child. That shit pissed me right off.

"Well, _you_ did it…"

"That's different, Bella."

"Really? How so?"

"Just knock it off, alright? You're not doing it," he insisted, firmly.

"Edward, you don't get to tell me what to do, and I want some beads too."

"Fine," he yelled. "I'll get you some." Then he proceeded to lift up his shirt again and a few beads and coins flew at him. My blood boiled at his double-standard way of thinking. I'd dealt with that shit all through college when all the good journalism assignments were given to the men in my classes.

Fuck that.

While Edward was busy trying to pick the bead necklaces from off the ground, I climbed up on a park bench to get up higher and lifted up my shirt and my bra. I yipped as the cold breeze hit my nips like a slap to the face and I couldn't believe I'd actually done it. Alice would've been proud of me. She was always trying to get me to do more crazy shit like this.

The bead necklaces and coins rained down on me like crazy while the men roared and whistled. I swear I even heard some girls screaming for me. When I looked down at Edward, he was gaping at me like a dead fish. And because I'm a shit like that, I wiggled my eyebrows at him in triumphant glory, until his mouth closed and his eyes narrowed at me.

I could tell he was livid. I figured he'd be a little pissed, but instead he looked like he was about to rip some guy's head off. Or maybe even my head.

As Scooby Doo would say, _"Rut ro…"_

I slowly lowered my bra and sweater, then climbed down and picked up my plethora of beads as I bit the inside of my cheek and waited for him to say something.

Edward looked pissed as fuck when I chanced a look at him. Even through his mask I could tell he was glaring at me. His mouth was set in a tight line and his jaw tight. It looked like he was possibly even grinding his teeth.

"Uh…I got more beads than you," I said sheepishly with a shrug and handed him about forty or fifty strands of bead necklaces.

He snatched them out of my hands and started throwing them over my head and around my neck hastily. By the time he was finished, I had so many beads around my neck that it was starting to hurt, the weight was so heavy. I took about ten strands off and tried to hand them to him, but he wouldn't even look at me.

"Hey," I shouted to him since there was a marching band passing by. "Don't be a double-standard bitch! If _you_ can show off _your_ bare chest, then so can I!"

Edward shook his head and looked away from me before shoving his hands in his pockets. He was taking deep breaths. It was obvious that he was furious and it bothered me. I knew I hadn't really done anything wrong, but having him mad at me still felt like I had. It was a shitty feeling and I fucking hated it.

We both stood there fuming for at least ten or fifteen minutes.

Floats passed by.

People laughed and cheered.

Edward continued to look away and I rolled my eyes and crossed my arms over my chest and looked in the opposite direction.

_Fucking Jerk._

I chanced a look over my shoulder to see if he was still brooding. He was.

_Gah! Fine, you emo bastard. I'm not budging._

And as I looked at the back of his head once again while he watched the parade go by, I realized, he wasn't budging either.

Obviously we were both stubborn as hell.

After a bit, I decided I wasn't going to look at him again. If he wanted to be a raging dick-face and ruin the entire evening over something stupid, then fine, I would just go back to the hotel.

I mean, jeez! It's not like anybody could see my face to know who I was. I'd just be another faceless set of tits. What the fuck did it really matter? And he did it, so why couldn't I?

I was turning around to tell him I was going back to the hotel, when at the exact same time we turned to glare at each other.

He still looked mad, but his jester hat and the mask made him look so ridiculous in the moment that I just started laughing, which caused him to chuckle, and soon we were both cracking up. Edward pulled me to him and wrapped his arms around me. "I'm not sorry," he said with a slight smile.

"Neither am I," I retorted with a raised eyebrow and a grin.

"Fine. I guess we're at an _impasse_, then."

"Yup."

His lips finally turned up into a real smile. "What am I going to do with you, Swan?"

I shrugged and looked over to one of the parade floats. It looked like it was circus themed with everyone in different animal masks.

"That looks so fun," I commented to Edward.

"You wanna?" he asked, nudging his head toward the floats.

"Are we allowed to?" I asked skeptically.

"Probably not," he said and without further warning, pulled me through a group of people until we were on the heels of one of the floats. Edward jumped up on the back of the float and said something into the ear of the guy with a horse mask on. The guy looked at him and grinned broadly, then held out his hand for me to jump up with them as well.

A couple of college frat guys had seen what we'd done and tried to follow us, but two more guys from the float came running back and told them to get lost. I kind of felt bad for them until one of the guys puked all over the other guy's shoes. I had to turn my head away and hide it in Edward's chest.

"Fuck that's disgusting," Edward groaned. We both giggled as the float moved down the street and plastic coins hit us in the head every so often.

I looked behind us and saw that there was a group of ladies on horseback coming up and maneuvering around the puking dudes. I grimaced again and Edward laughed then pulled me toward the middle of the float.

We stood at the railing of the float and tried to look like we belonged there as we waved to the crowds of people and even danced to the music a little. We were definitely still sufficiently buzzed. Or at least I was. Edward didn't seem to be the least bit shit-faced. The boy could handle his liquor when he wanted to, it seemed.

"I can't believe we're doing this," I shouted to him over the music. "This is so much fucking fun!" It really was. I felt like it was something I probably never would've experienced if I hadn't met him. The feeling was thrilling.

"Yeah, I've never done this before either," he smiled and held my hand as we continued on down the parade route waving to the joyful, boisterous crowds.

I happily took my bead necklaces off and tossed them out to the people as we continued down the street. It felt good to take that shit off, surprisingly.

A short time later, Edward leaned down and asked me, "You wanna get off now?"

"I thought we did that earlier," I joked and smiled smugly.

Edward shook his head. "Oh, don't tempt me, Swan, especially after that shit you pulled earlier," he growled and pulled my hips toward him. We tried to kiss, but the masks got in the way slightly. I had to turn my head even more to get my mouth on his properly. He pushed me back and groaned. "Let's hurry up and get the fuck out of here so I can take this shit off and get to those lips," he said.

I nodded and he walked us back toward the back of the float where he thanked the horse-man and we jumped off the back and ran over to the sidewalk to disappear into the throngs of people.

No one noticed as we disappeared down a dark side street.

As the music faded behind us, I took comfort in the feel of Edward's warm arm around my waist and the feel of his hot breath on top of my head. I couldn't tell you how far we walked because I wasn't even paying attention to it until we ended up at a dead end.

We were standing on a plain, generic sidewalk under a plain generic streetlamp when he halted our steps and pulled me into his arms and took my mask off. I reached up and pulled his off as well. We stared at each other under the dim street lights for the longest time until he leaned down and kissed me. It was gentle and our tongues moved slowly against each other, savoring the moment. When we broke apart, he held my face in his hands.

"I've never met anyone like you, Bella Swan. You…you make me crazy sometimes."

I looked up at him and smirked as he continued before I could say anything in return.

"You make me crazy," he started again, "but also, you make me _so_ happy. I don't think I've ever felt this happy. Even just when I get a text from you, I feel myself smiling like a fucking idiot."

"I know, I do-"

He stilled my lips with his thumb and interrupted me. "Just…let me say this before I chicken out again, okay?"

I could only nod and stare up into his dark eyes. I wished it was daylight so I could see the pretty green shade there in those deep orbs. But since it was dark outside, they looked black.

Edward took a deep breath and let it out roughly. "I love you, Bella."

My eyes blinked.

_Did he really just say that?_

He loved me.

His eyes darted all around my face, watching for my reaction. I focused on every single movement of his eyes. Finally he gulped and told me, "Say something, please…"

I would have, but he obviously didn't realize that he still had his hand over my mouth. Reaching up with my fingers, I tapped his hand and he slowly lowered it to his side along with his other hand. I gazed up into his eyes and asked one last thing of him.

"You do?" I asked.

Edward nodded slowly and smiled nervously.

"Say it again?" I murmured.

He whispered back, "I love you, Bella."

We could still hear the beat of a drum from another marching band in the background as he waited for my response.

"Really?" I had to ask because I just couldn't believe it.

It took Riley almost a full year to tell me he loved me, and it seemed like he didn't really mean it at the time. I was sure he cared about me in that _I don't want to see you die in a car accident, but other than that you're nice_ kind of way, but not the way a man loves a woman, to the point that he can't see straight sometimes. I'd only seen that look in the movies, but right at the moment, Edward was giving me that look. My eyes instantly stung with stupid fucking tears but I didn't care.

He nodded slowly. "Really."

I sniffed back a happy tear and whispered, "I love you, too."

There was no doubt in my mind that I loved Edward Masen with every fiber of my being. I would jump out of a window or cut of my left tit for this man if it came down to it. My entire body hummed with excitement whenever he was near me, and it physically hurt when he was gone. I'd never fallen this hard before and though it was scary as hell, I couldn't deny it any longer.

"Could you repeat that one more time, I didn't quite catch that," he chuckled while his hands came to hold onto the sides of my face.

In the loudest voice I could muster through my tears, I said it again. "I love you, Edward." Then I sniffed back another tear. "You're kind of moody and you drive me insane sometimes, but… I love you."

Edward's smile was bright enough to light the city on fire. As he held my grinning, tear-streaked face in his hands, he leaned down and kissed me over and over again. I'd never felt so full of bliss.

When we made love that night, it was slow and careful, with whispered declarations of love to each other. He worshiped my body that night, and promised me that he would make sure we got to spend as much time as possible together while he worked on the new album. I memorized the chiseled lines of his face and the freckles and moles on his strong muscular back, because I just _knew_ somehow that we'd be apart more than he was letting on.

The next morning when we said our goodbyes to each other in the early light of the hotel room, he made me promise not to worry too much, and promised that everything would be fine. I wished I could believe him, but as I boarded the private jet with Rosalie and Carlisle, something deep in my gut told me that trouble was on the way. I always had a sixth-sense about certain things. I just figured it was because I was still a little worried about his interview with Victoria.

Little did I know that _that_ would be the least of our problems.

* * *

**A/N: Dun dun dun... Well, how did you like that? What do you think is going to happen now? (I know, but you don't. That sucks, huh? Lol!) Do you think James is going to snitch on Bella soon? Who in the hell called him, anyway? And how much longer can they avoid the paps? You just know that they will get caught together eventually, right? And what about Charlie? He doesn't seem to like Edward too much...**

**I have to go do some pesky work now, but I'll start writing the next chapter tomorrow. Pray to the fanfiction gods that I don't get interrupted with too much RL shit in the next couple weeks so that you can have another chapter sooner than later. ) **


	13. Chapter 13

**Disclaimer: **I am not the one who owns Twilight.

**A/N: Shit, meet fan.**

* * *

**Chapter Songs:**

"Underwater Love" – Smoke City

"The Big Come Down" – Nine Inch Nails

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Shit Storms, Scuffles, and My Stupid, Emo, Rockstar Boyfriend**

As the fancy jet leveled out in the air on the way back to New York, I looked across to Rosalie – cool-as-a-fucking cucumber – as she read over some documents on her BlackBerry, then down to a stack of papers and back again. She seemed so deep in concentration that I didn't want to bother her at first, but since Carlisle had already fallen asleep to my far left, there seemed to be no time but the present.

"Rosalie, could I ask you something?"

She looked up from her phone and pulled her thick brown glasses from her face and smiled. "Sure, shoot," she said, urging me to continue.

And so, I launched into my tale of James Tracker and his disgusting way of treating me, along with some of the other stories I'd heard about his encounters with other women at the magazine. I had expected her to tell me that what he was doing was sexual harassment of some form, because that's what I figured it was – I just needed her to tell me how to go about reporting it. But she stayed silent until I was completely finished speaking, pursing her lips and tapping her chin as if in contemplation. When I ended my story with the phone call he'd made to me, her ears became red and she was breathing through her nose.

She seemed like maybe she was upset, so I had to ask, "You okay?"

Rosalie shook off whatever thought she was having and blinked her eyes. It was as if she'd been in a trance and at first I thought she hadn't been listening to a word I'd said. But then she rearranged her features and said, "I'm fine. I was just remembering something. Anyway, I want you to know that you didn't do anything wrong. He can't do that to you and _trust me_ when I say that he won't get away with it."

I furrowed my brows. "So…should I go to HR? I don't have any witnesses, but I-"

She waved me off. "Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it as soon as we land and I can use my phone."

My stomach suddenly felt queasy. I was afraid of what might happen to me if she confronted him and he denied it like I was sure he would.

"Well…what are you going to do… exactly?" I asked nervously.

Rosalie smiled a devious smile and her eyes twinkled. "What I do best," she told me with a sinister edge to her voice. "I'm going to make him wish he'd never been born a man." When she saw my worried expression, she reached forward and patted my knee. "Don't worry so much, girl. You'll get premature wrinkles. Just trust me and let me handle this." She then put her glasses back on and went back to her Blackberry.

I swore that day that if Rosalie Hale could get James out of my life, then she was a goddamn superhero in stilettos.

**X-X-X**

The next day at work there was a different feeling in the air – it was _eerie_. People were whispering in huddles and looking around to see who was watching them. It was like I was back in Mrs. Cope's Yearbook class after the great punch-spiking fiasco during Homecoming of my senior year. No one knew who'd done it, but everyone wanted to know and had their theories.

That's when I knew something big was up. And I had a feeling I knew _what_ it was, too.

I was almost to my office door when Jessica ran up to me and pulled me inside before slamming the door. She was practically balling before she even closed the door. And before I could even utter a word, she threw her little arms around me and began to wail uncontrollably.

My eyes went wide as I reached up to awkwardly pat her on the shoulder. I'm sorry, but displays of affection were not really my thing. You could blame my dad for that. "What's wrong, Jess? Did somebody die?"

"_Worse!_" she sniffed and pulled away. "They fired James yesterday afternoon," she sobbed. "Now I'll _never_ see him again!" My face froze in its shocked expression and I tried desperately to rein in my glee as I shushed and comforted the sobbing, snotty mess of a girl in front of me.

"Aw, you could do _way_ better anyway," I assured her. "Seriously, dude, the guy was a total sleaze. Why would you even lower your standards to someone like him?"

She shrugged and swiped away some more tears from her blue eyes then finally nodded. "You really think I'll find someone better?"

"Definitely," I smiled.

It took a couple more minutes to reassure her and get her to calm down just before Alice came knocking on my office door. Jessica left the room and Alice closed the door behind her before closing the "in-glass" blinds.

We took one knowing look at each other and grinned before we broke out into ridiculously dorky happy dances. No joke, we looked like the biggest smug assholes you'd ever met as we did our "End-zone-touch-down-dances". Alice was trying to do some kind of running-man thing on the tip-toes of her brown Jimmy Choo boots and the little white dress she had on, and I was moving my ass around in circles in my tight grey pencil skirt like I was buffing something invisible with my ass. Then it was all high-fives, pelvic thrusts and giggles until we finally collapsed into our respective leather chairs.

Despite the inevitable gossip at the water-cooler, it was a good day.

**X-X-X**

Edward came back into town the following Tuesday night – three days before St. Patrick's Day. The second he knocked on my door, my body sparked, on fire like a matchstick.

I ripped the door open and pulled him in by the jacket, not even giving him a chance to put his bags down. I'd told him to come straight to my place as soon as he'd finished his last show in Ashbury, New Jersey. Emmett dropped him off late that night because I knew neither of us could wait for him to go to his place first.

The black T-shirt I'd been sleeping in - and stolen from Edward - was torn off my body in a flurry of hands and wet kisses. His heady smell enveloped me as we staggered over toward my couch. We didn't even make it to my bedroom.

Edward pulled his grey T-shirt over his head and tossed it aside, his last item of clothing left besides his jeans and boxers. The backs of my legs hit the side of my couch and I fell back, still attached to Edward's rock solid body by my hands sewn into his overlong hair.

"I love you in my shirt," he rasped in my ear. "But I love you even more out of it."

He palmed my breast in one hand and I groaned while his tongue and lips worked over my throat. When he began to suck and bite on the skin there, I contemplated telling him not to do that – so as not to leave a mark – but I couldn't find the protest in me. I could just use makeup to cover it for work. Instead I ripped his jeans open and shoved my hand down into his boxers, finding the hardness there.

I stroked him a few times before demanding, "These need to come off - Now."

Edward shifted and together we worked to do just that. He'd already taken his socks off when he'd kicked his shoes off at the door. I think. I couldn't be bothered with stupid fucking details like that at the moment.

Without warning, he picked me up as if I weighed nothing and tossed me to the far end of my large sofa – my head bouncing off the fluffy throw pillow and causing me to yelp and giggle. He smirked wickedly at me before he crawled up my body and covered it with his. I reached for his toned shoulders, but he intercepted and drew my hands up above my head.

The time for games was over and we both knew it. He held my hands in one of his and used his free hand to spread me open, tease me and work my slickness over with one finger, then push one slowly inside. I bucked my hips against him and wrapped one leg around his waist to get closer as I gasped for air and begged for more.

"Tell me what you want," he murmured huskily against my lips. "Say it. Out loud."

I knew what he was asking.

With a few more wet kisses on his beautiful mouth, I dragged my teeth along his stubbly jaw until my mouth was at his ear. "Fuck me," I rasped in a deep whorish voice and when he growled and punished me with his fingers, I pulled back to see my sexy predator's lusty expression.

He let go of my hands and pulled my head back by my hair before attaching his hot mouth to my breast. His fingers disappeared from inside me as he replaced them with his cock. Edward pushed in to the hilt, using one of his legs to steady himself on the ground beside the sofa. He sat up and gripped my hips before pulling out until only the tip was inside, then slammed back into me.

My eyes rolled back and I cried out in pleasure. When I brought them back down as he continued his torturous rhythm - our eyes connected and we simply watched each other and felt. I became lost in his wanting stare, watching him breathe in and out through gritted teeth. The muscles in his shoulders and biceps flexed and tightened with each thrust.

Watching him, watching me.

Deciding to kick it up a notch, I pulled my hands down from their grip on the armrest of the sofa and slid them down my heated neck and to my chest until my fingertips danced over my hardened nipples.

Edward stilled his hips, groaned and closed his eyes for only a second before they opened again and locked on where my hands were.

I started to think maybe he didn't like it, so I pulled my hands away slowly.

"Don't," he commanded as he watched me. His eyes focused on my chest. "Don't stop doing that."

With his hooded gaze upon me, I licked my lips and moved my hands back to their previous position. Edward moved his hands under my knees and pulled my legs up slightly so he could drive deeper inside me.

"Fuck, that's…so good," he growled as he pumped.

I mewled in agreement and pinched at my nipples like he usually did. "Yes…good…ungh…fuck," I gasped.

Suddenly my legs dropped and his mouth was on my nipple again while he continued moving inside me. I lost control of myself and growled out a string of curses, reveling in his sweet torture before I toppled over the edge.

Edward followed right after me, then collapsed above me until we were nothing but a sweaty mess of naked tangled bodies draped on top of the sofa, both trying to catch our breath.

He kissed me sweetly then, as I brushed a lock of slightly damp bronze hair out of his eye.

And we belonged to each other.

**X-X-X**

We stayed holed up in my apartment for the next two days, barely coming up for air and ordering in when it came to food. Edward had turned his phone off since he wasn't scheduled to be in the studio until the following Monday. And as it was now Friday afternoon, we had plans to go to a downtown pub with Emmett, Rosalie, and Jasper for a proper St. Patty's day celebration.

I was a little nervous that Edward would get recognized and hounded, but we'd been doing so well that morning when we actually went out for coffee and donuts, that I'd started to think that we maybe we could go out in public more often without any interference.

Alice was texting me that day to ask if I was doing anything that night, and after I told her what the plans were and invited her to tag along, she agreed and the night of drinking green beer was all a go.

The weather was surprisingly warm, so, along with my black cardigan, I wore a _green_ blouse because I knew how seriously Alice took St. Patty's day, and I was not about to be pinched by her boney little fingers. That shit hurt like hell and she would never stop at just one.

**X-X-X**

Alice and Jasper were getting along surprisingly well as we all chugged our respective beers and the boys told us funny stories from the road. I'll admit I was already feeling pretty buzzed and I was only on my second beer, so they could've told me that the roof of the pub was caving in and I would've found it funny. But in my defense, Jasper had bought a round of Jager-bombs for us all and since I hardly knew the guy, I didn't want to offend him and say no to the drink.

Edward looked over at me from under his black baseball cap and smiled as Emmett guffawed at some story Jasper was relaying about how he'd lost a bet with the band and ended up having to shave most of his hair off and dye the top black. Alice kept going on about how much she loved it, and I had to admit that it did look pretty good on him.

With his arm around my waist, Edward and I made stupid googly-eyes at each other as we all sat in the large booth and listened to Emmett tell road-prank stories while I tried my damndest not to jump on top of my sexy boyfriend and maul him in front of everyone there. I'm pretty sure it was obvious to everyone that we weren't listening to a word they said, but we didn't care.

Alice excused herself to the ladies room, just as Rosalie got up to go to the digital jukebox and pick some more songs. All the guys in the pub had initially pitched a fit when she started playing rap songs, but when they saw who'd picked the music - they quickly decided they were now rap fans as well.

As soon as the deep base sound of "Candy Shop" by _50 Cent_ came on over the speakers, Emmett groaned and closed his eyes, clearly annoyed. According to Rosalie, he was more of a death-metal fan and kind of hated her rap infatuation.

"Come on, Emmie…" she sang, standing at the end of the booth and pulling on his bulky, muscular arm. "Dance with me…"

Edward snickered, "Yeah, _Emmie_, go shake that ass."

"Fuck you, dude," Emmett laughed and turned to Rosalie. "_Babe…"_ he whined. "Don't make me dance…"

Rosalie let go of his arm and shrugged as if she really didn't care. "Fine, I'll dance by myself." She turned on her heel, flipped her long blond hair over her shoulder, and sauntered away casually, swishing her hips in her skin-tight jeans as she went.

The second she hit the edge of the little parquet-wood dance floor and started moving to the beat, the entire pub froze. Men all around the place lowered their arms with the dart still in their hands, mouths froze on beer mugs mid-sip, and eyes bugged out of their heads. Rosalie saw none of it because her eyes were closed, her ass dipping down and back up perfectly to the music.

I looked over to Emmett whose eyes had suddenly glazed over. He was already up out of the booth and making his way over to her. Some guy with a goatee and a few tattoos decided he was going to try to dance with Rosalie too. Emmett made it there at the same time and pushed the guy out of the way before spinning Rosalie around and pulling her to him by the hips.

She opened her eyes and they smiled at each other.

"I knew he wouldn't last for two more seconds of that," Edward commented, and I laughed.

Rosalie was as beautiful as a Greek goddess or a Supermodel, so I was sure it had to be hard for Emmett to not be jealous of the attention she surely got on a daily basis. Not that Emmett was ugly or anything – far from it, actually. The two of them were going to make some beautiful babies – that's all I'm saying.

Another couple stepped up to the dance area to join in before I could even say anything, Edward was pulling me up out of the booth with a grin on his face and a gleam in his eyes. I giggled as we joined Emmett and Rosalie, trying our best to keep up with their seductive moves. As the song switched into another, my bladder protested that I'd had too many beers and not enough bathroom trips.

I let Edward know that I was going to the ladies room and he released me to make my way through the severely crowded pub. And when I say crowded, I mean crowded with men. Not even gonna lie – it was a fucking sword-fest in the place.

As I made it to the door of the ladies room, I saw that there was no line outside of it and thanked God for the lack of women in the place that night. Pushing the door open, I was still in the open doorway when I stopped dead in my tracks.

Though I couldn't see any faces, I could hear Alice's distinct voice panting and rasping for something to be "harder" as the faceless man in black crocodile boots, pummeled her against the wall of the closed bathroom stall. I recognized the boots before she even moaned his name.

"Jasper! Oh fuck yeah, right there!"

You know that feeling when you're witness to a crime or a car accident? You don't really know what to do and you're paralyzed momentarily?

Boots shuffled and there was a loud bang as he slammed her body against the Formica wall of the stall and she growled in ecstasy.

"That hard enough for you, darlin'?"

"Yes! Yes! Oh God!"

Birds could've made a nest in my mouth, that's how far my jaw had dropped open.

Horrified at what I'd just walked in on, I backed out of the room and stared in shock at the ominous black wooden door to the ladies room.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I turned my head to see Edward standing before me with concern on his face.

"Alice…she…Jasper…they…sex…" I stuttered in a daze, trying to explain. Things started clicking into place in my mind. The voice I'd heard when I had the flu… In my apartment…when I was practically naked…_Oh God!_ But had they already been together at the time? They had to be.

_They had sex in my office! _

_But that was weeks ago!_

_Why didn't she tell me? _

_That little bitch! I'm going to kick her tiny little ass._

And then there were all the trips she was always taking at the last minute. I'd completely disregarded and forgotten about that until right then. Was she going to visit him on the road? How long had she been keeping this from me and why?

Edward was grinning at me.

"You_ knew?_"

He pulled his black baseball cap up and then back down over his messy overgrown hair before he raised his hands up in defense. "Hey, I only found out a couple days ago, and he made me promise not to tell you or anyone else."

"But why? Why can't I know?"

Edward shrugged. "He said Alice is nervous that you're gonna be mad at her or something."

I shook my head. "But that doesn't even make sense. I want Alice to be happy. Why the hell would I care if she's been hooking up with Jasper for the last month or whatever."

"Uh…it's been going on longer than that," Edward explained.

"How long?"

Sheepishly, he answered, "About a year or so... I think he said."

"_What?_ Are you kidding me?"

He shook his head slowly.

My drunken, dazed mind was too fuzzy to comprehend it so I shook it off and shrugged. "Whatever, I _really _gotta pee."

Snickering, Edward ducked his head into the Men's room and backed it right out again, looking like he'd just witnessed an accident. "Yeah, I don't think you wanna go in there…"

I grimaced. "_Oh man_…I really gotta go."

Smiling, he took my hand in his, intertwined our fingers and started leading me out of the pub. I assumed we were going to go to the bistro restaurant next door to use their restroom. We both laughed as we passed Emmett and Rosalie on our way out. They were full-on making out in front of everyone while still dancing, and Emmett looked kind of ridiculous, swaying to the music with his bulky form.

We pushed through the hoards of drunken men and Edward bent his head down to kiss me as he opened the solid wood door to the pub. Suddenly there were bright, flashing, strobe-like lights behind my eyelids and loud male voices yelling all at the same time.

"_There he is! Edward!"_

"_Edward! Edward! Who's the girl?"_

"_How long have you guys been dating?"_

I opened my eyes and looked around, catching only a glimpse at the twenty or thirty men around us with huge cameras, only to be blinded by more white lights, causing me to lift up my forearm over my face. I couldn't fucking see anything – not even my arm in front of my face. Looking down was no help either as the flashes continued. It was like being caught in the middle of a severe lightning storm.

"_Edward! Tell us who the girl is!"_

"_What's your name, sweetheart?"_ one guy asked and moved to stand right beside me.

Edward pulled his hand out of mine and threw that arm around me protectively, pulling me close to his body as the barrage of questions continued.

"_Come on, man. Give us something!"_

"_Are you still dating Irina Skye?"_ A deep voice asked.

It's amazing how quickly you can sober up during times like that. When words like that are uttered and cameras are being shoved in your face.

"I barely know Irina," Edward said firmly. "We were _never_ dating. Now, fuck off!"

I relaxed slightly with his words, but not by much. We were still in the middle of pandemonium.

"_How'd you and this lovely girl here meet?"_ A high-pitched voice asked.

"_Is it serious?"_ came another voice.

"_Just give us a name, man! Come on!"_

"_Sweetheart, just tell us your name!"_

Edward was pulling me to the left for a split second as I kept my head down, then he changed course and we moved to the right. He accidentally stepped on my toe and I yelped in pain.

"Fucking asshole!" Edward growled. "Get away from her!"

My vision came back momentarily and I looked down to see an unknown brown shoe, letting up off my foot. I then realized that it was one of the paparazzi who'd stepped on my toe and not Edward.

"_Move!_" Edward yelled again, shoving at someone unseen by me.

"I'm trying," I squeaked.

His mouth was suddenly down by my ear. "Not you, baby," he assured me in a low, gentle voice. "Just hang on tight and I'll get us out of here."

With my hand already around his waist, I did as he said and clutched tightly to his T-shirt while he maneuvered us down the crowded sidewalk. Something hard and sharp struck and scraped against my upper arm and I winced as the pain sliced through me.

We made it a few steps away as the flashing white strobes continued to blind my vision. Suddenly a car door opened and Edward was directing me inside before shoving himself in beside me.

I knew we were in a cab by the smell of it and as Edward rattled off the address of his apartment to the driver, I finally tried to open my eyes again. There were still flashbulbs going off around the cab and as Edward tucked my head into his side, he yelled to the cabbie, "Fucking move already! Go! Go!"

The driver stomped down on the gas pedal and we were flying down the road and into the late night. A minute later, I looked up to see Edward staring angrily ahead of him, his jaw tight and his eyes narrowed, breathing deeply through his nose.

I took a deep breath and let it out forcefully. "Wow," I whispered, holding my hands out in front of me to see that they were still shaking. "That was a lot crazier than I expected. I don't know how you do that all the time. I think I'd go nuts." As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I instantly wished I could take them back. "I didn't mean-"

He turned to glare at me. "I _told_ you it would be like this." Then he turned his head to stare out his side window. As he pulled his phone from his back pocket to text Emmett, I began to see that things were not going well at all.

I could tell he was angry, I just didn't know if he was angry at _me_ or the situation. He had no reason to be angry at _me_, but it seemed like he was for some reason. I put my hand on his arm and he tensed but didn't pull away. Still, I felt cold and unwelcome, rejected even. I pulled my hand back and scooted away from him. He made no move to turn back toward me and reassure me, and I was hurt.

When we pulled up in front of his apartment building, it was more of the same where the paparazzi were concerned. But this time we knew exactly where we were going and didn't have as hard a time getting up the sidewalk and into his building. Mike the night doorman watched us curiously as he kept the men outside the building at bay. Edward had his hand in mine and led me to the elevators, but it wasn't the same as it had been before.

He was being distant and tense, not saying much of anything since we got in the cab together, and the fact that he was being so quiet was bugging the fuck out of me more than anything he'd ever done so far. He said nothing in the elevator or even as we walked down the hallway to his apartment he stayed silent. I watched him as we entered the doorway where he walked swiftly past me to toss his keys onto the kitchen counter.

My cell phone began to ring in my back pocket, so I pulled it out while Edward continued to sulk in front of the microwave.

It was Alice.

"Hey, Alice," I sighed, sinking down on the large brown sofa with my back turned to Edward.

"_Oh…my…God."_

"I know."

"_Are you okay?"_

"Yeah, I'm fine. I think Edward is in shock though. Seems he's gone catatonic," I joked, turning my head to see Edward watching me with just a hint of a smile on his face. I shook my head at him and continued. "So, I have a question for you, Al. What's up with you and Jasper? I hear you two have been doin the nasty for some time now. What gives? You usually tell me everything."

There was a fake static hissing sound on the other end and Alice's mouth was behind it, I was sure. Dirty whore. _"What? Hhhhhhhhh. I can't hear you. Hhhhhhhhhh. Bad- hhhhh- reception. Call you – hhhhhhhh."_ And then the line went dead. Obviously she wasn't ready to spill the details just yet.

Annoyed but too exhausted to care, I huffed out a breath and rolled my eyes before turning my phone down to silent and tossing it on the glass coffee table. I just knew it wouldn't be long before the story of Edward and I was out and my phone would be blowing up with calls from everyone I knew and their mother.

Leaning back on the couch, I scrubbed my palms over my forehead, which was now pounding. After taking a few cleansing breaths, I opened my eyes and turned around to see that Edward hadn't moved from where he stood before. He was still standing with his hands braced against the counter, back to staring at the microwave as if it held the secrets to the world in it.

I got up off the couch and walked toward him with purpose, and when I was right next to him, he still didn't look away from the mysterious, all-knowing microwave. The whole Emo thing he was doing was really starting to piss me off.

"Hey," I said to him. His eyes finally blinked and he turned his head to look down at me, but still he said nothing. "Are you mad at me or something?"

Instead of getting an answer, he squinted his eyes at me. I guessed that meant, "Are you kidding me?" but he still wasn't talking and he also turned to stare at the microwave again. I was starting to lose my cool, big time.

"Edward, look at me."

He didn't. Still facing the microwave, he continued to glare at it. But I'd had enough. I turned on my heel and stalked over to coffee table, picked up my phone, went over to the door and started unlocking the deadbolt.

"Where are you going?" Edward asked.

"Oh! He speaks!" He gave me a pointed look, but I continued, angry and hurt. "I'm leaving. If you're just going to ignore me all night for no goddamn reason, then there's no point in me being here."

With that I threw the door open and slipped out, slamming the door closed behind me. My feet moved swiftly and angrily, back toward the elevator. I didn't care if I had to get mauled by the paps again, it would be better than having Edward pretend I didn't exist for an entire night.

My right arm was still stinging like a son-of-a-bitch, but I ignored it for the time being.

As I repeatedly jabbed my thumb into the down button, I heard a door open behind me.

"Bella, wait! I'm sorry. Don't leave!"

I turned my back to him completely while I waited, hearing footsteps pounding closer until they were right behind me. The elevator door opened with a ding and Mike – the young doorman with the kind blue eyes – almost barreled right into me, causing me to take a step back which threw me right into Edward's solid chest.

"Hey," Mike said to me. "I just came to tell you those guys downstairs are all gone now. Um…and to see if you were alright." His cheeks were all rosy like he'd run the stairs instead of taking the elevator he now stood in. He pushed the stop button to hold the doors open.

I smiled at him. "Thanks, Mike – that was so sweet of you. I was just leaving, so your timing is perfect." Mike grinned warmly at me and took a step back into the elevator. But when I started to step in, Edward put his hand on my left arm to stop me.

"Bella's not going anywhere, _Mike_," he growled, and gently spun me around to face him.

I was livid. "Excuse m-"

Edward's lips crushing down on mine cut me off from my rand, while his arms snaked around me and pulled me close. I probably could've pushed him away and gotten pissed for his barbaric display, but when his hands slid down to grip my ass and pull me impossibly closer, I momentarily forgot what we were even fighting about.

His tongue was in my mouth, one hand on my ass, the other moving up my back and into my hair, attaching me to his body, devouring me. The taste of him was like a drug – sucking me in and paralyzing me.

Someone cleared their throat and I finally had the sense to pull back, our lips making a wet smacking sound as I tried to catch my breath. It took me a second to remember where I was, standing partially in the entryway to the elevator and partially in the hallway. My eyes darted around to see Mike gaping at us while Edward stared down at me.

"I'm sorry," Edward pleaded to me in a low, defeated voice. "Please, don't leave."

His sorrowful eyes gazed down upon me and I melted. I fucking melted like a Snickers bar on pavement on a hot July afternoon.

"Okay," I whispered, not breaking his gaze. He leaned across me and reached into the elevator. I heard a switch flick and a beep before Edward stepped back a step and pulled me along with him.

"So long, _Mike_," Edward said coldly, and I heard the elevator doors snap shut.

"What the hell?" I asked.

"What."

"You know exactly _what_," I countered.

Edward shrugged. "I'm an asshole," he said sheepishly with a smile.

Rolling my eyes and shaking my head, I laughed. "I'm still pissed at you."

He sighed. "I know." Slipping his hand in mine, he walked me back inside his apartment.

**X-X-X**

"Don't ever ignore me like that again," I told him firmly as we stood in his vast bathroom, brushing our teeth. Edward passed me the toothpaste and nodded his head sadly.

"I pwomise," he said with the toothbrush in his mouth. "I juss feew bad an I woooent want woo-"

"Jesus," I giggled. "Could you spit first? I can't understand a fucking word you're saying."

He smiled, spit, rinsed and tossed his toothbrush on the marble countertop, then moved to wrap me up in his arms. "I was trying to say that I promise I won't ignore you like that again. I was just so pissed at the situation because I don't want you to have to deal with that all the time. I knew eventually it would happen, but I guess I just enjoyed pretending I was just a normal guy for a while. I feel like I should've prepared you better for this. And I worry that you'll decide that it's too much for you and you won't…"

"Won't what?"

"You won't want to be with me anymore, because it's too stressful on you. I mean, I'll understand, but…"

"Edward," I said, shaking my head. "I'm not going anywhere just because a few hundred cameras are shoved in my face. Yeah, it sucks and it's going to take some getting used to-"

"It'll get a lot worse than that," he argued. "Once the gossip magazines get a hold of the story, they'll rip you apart – find out stuff from your past that isn't really a big deal, talk to people who might not like you…"

"I don't care. As long as _I_ know it's not true, then it doesn't matter."

He looked so sad as he asked, "Just promise me you won't believe _everything_ you read? I've heard stories from other musicians about tabloids making stories so bad that marriages and shit got ruined over it."

I couldn't help but tease him. "You mean you don't really have a three-headed alien baby hidden away in Bangkok?"

Edward rolled his eyes, but he couldn't help laughing. "See? That's exactly what I'm talking about. He only has _two_ heads, not three."

I threw my head back and laughed. Actually, we both laughed really hard at that one, but I knew what he meant. The tabloids were going to rip me apart and spit out the pieces. Rabid fan girls were going to eat me alive. I just had to be ready.

"I love you," he murmured against my lips. "You're everything to me."

"That's all that matters," I assured him and added, "And I love you too, so don't forget that."

I finished brushing my teeth, while he went to answer a phone call from Carlisle. When he came back into the bathroom, I had just started stripping off my cardigan and he immediately caught sight of the large gash on my right arm. It wasn't deep enough to need stitches, but it looked pretty bad.

His expression hardened again. Wordlessly, he pulled a bottle of peroxide and a large band-aid out of his medicine cabinet and cleaned me up. I tried to do it myself, but he wouldn't give me the bottle of peroxide.

"It's no big deal," I assured him. "Just a scratch."

He said nothing in return as he put the band-aid on.

So….we were back to Emo. Fucking great.

"You promised…" I reminded him.

"I know," he smiled a fake smile, clearly acting. "I'm fine. Not mad at all," he lied and kissed me on top of my head. I eyed him suspiciously and he gave me another fake smile before he led me into the bedroom. I dressed in one of his old T-shirts and climbed in along with him.

He claimed he was exhausted and I had to admit I was too. So, with him spooned behind me, we immediately fell asleep.

I thought I'd been taking everything in stride until I woke up sometime in the middle of the night from a horrible nightmare of men chasing me with cameras as I ran down the busy street, trying to catch up to a Thanksgiving parade float.

Edward was sleeping soundly, with his chin on the top of my head. I took a few deep breaths and snuggled into his chest, letting his steady heartbeat lull me back to sleep.

**X-X-X**

When we left Edward's apartment the next afternoon, there were half the amount of photographers, and this time we were prepared. Emmett had come to pick us up in his black Hummer and he met us in the back alley. No one saw us and we made a clean getaway.

But when we arrived at my apartments it was a whole other story.

At least twenty guys stood near the front steps to the building, clutching cameras and smoking cigarettes. We tried driving around to the back but even there, we found more of them, creeping around like cockroaches.

"Shit," I murmured as I looked out the tinted window from the back seat. "How'd they know where I live already?"

Edward squeezed my hand. "Can you just stay at my place for awhile?"

"But this is my home. And I can't just leave Felix here." My temperamental cat was probably so pissed at me already for hardly being there as it was.

"Bring him too," he replied simply.

I shook my head. "You can't just change up his whole routine like that. They're not like dogs where you can just take them with you wherever you go."

Edward sighed. "Then I'm having Emmett stay with you."

"_WHAT?_"

"Bella, I'm not letting you deal with this by yourself and I have to be in the studio soon. I won't be there to protect you and I have to know that you're safe."

"I can take care of myself."

Emmett chimed in. "He's right, Bella. It's not safe for you right now. Not while they're just finding out about you guys."

It was my turn to sigh. "But, what about you?" I asked Edward. "Who's going to guard _you_?"

Emmett came in with another thought. "What about Seth? I talked to him when we were in Jersey and he said he was looking for work since he got out of the military. Kid's pretty ripped, too."

Edward shook his head. "I don't need a bodyguard while I'm in the studio. Emmett will stay with you," he told me firmly. "And you're staying at _my_ place."

I glanced out my window and watched at the sharks began to circle the SUV, waiting for our exit, cameras ready. My lease had been up on the place for a month and to tell you the truth, I'd been planning to move soon anyway. This was just icing on the burned cake. I had already told Edward about the lease in one of our lengthy phone conversations, and he had agreed that I should find another apartment. I was pretty sure he still had a problem with Riley having lived there before.

With a heavy breath, I looked back to Edward. "Fine. But just for a few days until I can find a new apartment. I'll call the landlord when we get back to your place."

Edward nodded and started to get out. Emmett exited the vehicle and came around to shield us as we made our way up the sidewalk and through the throngs of cameras. He did an excellent job of keeping them at a safe distance, I'd have to give him that. Edward had no problem forcefully pushing them away if they still got through.

Two hours later, we were back in the Hummer and speeding back to Edward's apartment.

I felt horrible for leaving Felix at my place, but he seemed to be content where he was and Emmett assured me that he'd come and feed him every day. I figured it would only take me about a week to find a new home. I'd already circled a bunch of listings in the paper, so I just needed to go look at them and pick one.

When we got back to Edward's, I finally had the balls to check my phone. Twenty-eight missed calls and forty-three text messages.

Most of the calls were from my mom so I called her first and assured her that everything was fine. She also let me know that she'd seen the footage from the pub on television. Apparently E! News was right on top of the story of 'Edward Masen and his new mystery girl'.

Some of the calls were from my dad, so I phoned him next. Charlie was more concerned for my safety than anyone. He even insisted that he would take the next flight out to stay with me, but I told him about Emmett and that seemed to appease him.

Then there were calls and texts from Jake – who I hadn't heard from in a few months due to the fact that he'd just started a new job as a personal trainer. It was my fault we'd lost contact actually. I just figured he'd be too busy to talk and plus, I'd been busy with Edward.

Anyway, we talked briefly and he offered for me to stay at his place with him and his boyfriend, Jared, if things got too hairy for me in New York. The offer would've been great – if Jake didn't live back in Port Angeles, Washington.

I even had texts from people I hadn't talked to since High School. I had no idea how they even had my number, and they were all people was never really friends with, so I didn't even respond.

Finally, there was a voicemail from none other than Jason Dieber.

"_Hey, hey, sexy lady… Now I see why you blew me off for the VMA's… I gotta say, I think Masen's a little old for you. Call me if you change your mind. I'll make it worth your while...if you know what I'm sayin…and I think you know-"_

Christ.

I erased that one without even listening to the rest of the message.

Alice was still keeping me on a string about her and Jasper, and it irritated me. So on Sunday, Edward and I went to Emmett and Rosalie's new house in Queens to help them move furniture and unpack.

We actually had a fun, stress-free day and I was starting to feel good about things again.

Monday was another story entirely.

I hadn't slept much at all on Sunday night and since the paparazzi had apparently found out who I was and where I worked, they were already there waiting for me in front of the building. I couldn't even get to Nahuel's coffee cart to get my morning pick-me-up. He was watching me in shock as Emmett walked me through the massive crowd of reporters and cameras, up to the front doors.

The minute I stepped off the elevator, Jessica was right there waiting for me in another ugly-ass sweater.

"Mr. Damon wants to see you in his office," she told me, her face twisted with worry.

My eyes bugged out. "_Mr. Damon?_ As in _Peter Damon_? The Executive Editor? Head Honcho? The one who always fires everyone who gets called into his office? _That_ Mr. Damon?"

She smiled sadly. "Yup."

"Shit."

"Yeah."

"Oh fuck," I whispered as I leaned my back against the cold, hard wall, panicked. "I think I'm gonna throw up."

* * *

**A/N: *Cough* Um...yep. That might be a problem. Oh and by the way "Damon" is "Nomad" spelled backwards. Like you care, right? :D**

**See you next time?**


	14. Chapter 14

**Disclaimer: **SM owns the Twilight

**A/N:** First, let me say that I have had the worst writer's block with this chapter and that's what took so damn long this time. I don't know why it happened - because I had it all outlined as to what was going to happen - I just couldn't get the words out for some reason. So for that, I apologize. My bad. And I haven't been able to reply to some of the reviews for some reason, but I'll try it again today. I do read and love all of them, just so you know. And they help me write the story, you have no idea! :)

Also, I felt I should tell you that I pictured **Bruce Willis** when writing Bella's big boss - **Mr. Damon**. Why? Because Bruce Willis is tha shit. Nuff said. Annnnnd, I mean no disrespect to red-heads, some of my best friends are gingys (you'll know why I'm saying this after you read the chapter) lol.

Last thing, Rosalie insisted on the second chapter song, because she knows what's going to happen in future chapters and she thought I should give you a hint as to what's ahead... Plus she loves 2pac. ;) I'll be curious to see if anyone gets the hint. Alright, enough yapping. Here's your chapter.

* * *

**Chapter Songs**:

"Excuse Me, Mr." – No Doubt

"Fake Ass Bitches" – Tupac Shakur

* * *

**Chapter 14 – Fruity Drinks, Fruitier Landlords, and Finally an Explanation**

With my heart in my throat, I walked slowly down the ominous hallway to Mr. Damon's office – dreading my every step - until I stood just in front of the dark brown door that would ultimately lead to my demise. Timidly I knocked.

At first there was no answer, and so I breathed a sigh of relief – thinking Mr. Damon had left the building or maybe dropped dead of a sudden coronary. Or maybe he'd choked on his morning bagel and I'd be off the hook.

Yeah fucking right. I should be so lucky.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't _really_ wish death on anyone, and I'd never met the guy personally, but I'd seen him a few times. He didn't look like the friendliest man - that was for sure. And from what I'd heard, he was a force to be reckoned with. There was a saying around the office. "Damon's office is like the Bates Motel – Many will enter, but few will leave…with their job." Hey,_ I_ didn't make that up, it was some guys in proof-reading that did.

As I turned to high-tail it back to my office, the door clicked and swung open. I turned to see the tall, burly, bald man in a crisp black suit…looking at me with one arched brow. His strong jaw set hard as his steel blue eyes focused on my face.

"Miss Swan?"

I straightened my shoulders as I faced him. "Yes, sir? You wanted to see me?"

He held the door open wider and commanded, "Come on in," in his thick Brooklyn accent. It was like I was in some scene from _Goodfellas _or_ The Godfather_ – about to sleep with the fishes, so to speak.

Without pause, I obeyed and stepped into the extremely large office. One wall was completely covered in pictures of Mr. Damon posed with various musicians and bands. Some were _obviously_ not from this decade – judging by the amount of hair on his head and the ridiculous clothing they all wore. While others were of bands that I recognized from my generation; bands I would definitely not peg him as being a fan of – like Metric. Seriously? This old geezer was a fan of Metric?

Okay, truthfully, he probably wasn't _that_ old – mid fifties probably. And he was actually a pretty good looking guy if I was being totally honest. Some of the older pictures – when he had a full head of dark brown hair – told me that in his day, he was a looker.

"You a fan of Metric, too?" he asked. His deep voice startled me and I jumped, turning to find him a few steps behind me.

"I…I love Metric," I told him truthfully.

He narrowed his eyes at me; sizing me up to see if I was telling the truth, I guess. "Old Van Halen or new Van Halen?"

He was testing me. Well, like it or not, I had to answer truthfully.

"That's easy. Definitely _old_ Van Halen. Sammy Hagar was great, but there's just nothing like the craziness that was David Lee Roth."

A hint of a smile played on one side of his mouth while he pointed to a photo of him and the guy I'd just said I _didn't_ prefer. "Sammy's a good friend of mine," he informed me.

_Oh fuck._

My eyes widened and I held my breath.

"But you're right," he continued, and I could breathe again. "The older stuff _was_ the best of it all." He shrugged and I could only nod and try desperately not to wipe the sweat off my palms in front of him. He turned and moved swiftly toward what was obviously a mini bar area on the other side of the room. "Have a seat, Miss Swan."

I moved to sit in one of the overlarge leather chairs while he opened the cabinet and took out two tumbler glasses.

"Isabella," he started. "May I call you Isabella?"

Nodding, I answered, "Sure. Or… you could call me Bella. I mean you don't have to. It's just that everyone calls me Bella. Well, not everyone. This guy down in copy-edit calls me _Izzy,_ but I hate that and sometimes my dad calls me _Bells_ or _Isabella Marie_ when he's really pissed and I…oh God. Sorry. I'm rambling."

He blinked at me, poured himself a glass of something amber colored and came over to sit in one of the chairs near me, but suddenly stopped, and set the drink down on the glass table.

"Look, kid. There's no reason for you to be nervous. You're not in any trouble."

"I'm not?"

"Nope. None at all. But there are a few things I wanted to speak with you about."

"Um…okay," I murmured.

He picked up the glass again and took a small swig of his drink. "First of all, I wanted to apologize to you on behalf of James Tracker." My eyes bugged out and my mouth opened in shock as he continued. "I kinda had a feeling there was something not right about that jerk-off, but unfortunately I had no idea just how _not right_ he was. You know what I'm sayin?"

"So you know about…"

"Yeah," he said. "I know about the stuff he said to you. And trust me when I tell you that I've been looking for an excuse to can that shit-head for a while now. I mean, what the hell was up with those goofy lookin' vests anyway?" he laughed. "I'm all for bein' in fashion, but come on!"

I couldn't help but burst out laughing. When he started chuckling along with me, I immediately became at ease with him.

"Rosalie Hale called you, right?"

After another swig, he answered. "Actually, her father called me. Me and Benny go way back ya know."

"Oh."

"But kid, if you'd have come to me personally, I woulda tossed his ass out on the sidewalk right then and there. And then I find out that he's been screwing with other women here…" He shook his head sadly. "I just can't believe no one else came forward until now."

I shrugged because I just didn't know what else to say.

His drink was now empty, so he stood and went back over to the bar and started to pour himself another. "You want something to drink, kid? I make a mean Mojito," he offered.

Grimacing, I answered, "Bleh. I hate Mojitos."

"Fruity drinks," he countered humorously, smiling and pointed a finger at me. "You probably like fruity drinks, am I right?"

I snorted a laugh and nodded. "Sure. Fruity is cool."

He smiled broadly. "I've got just the drink for you then." With that, he opened up another cupboard that had every liquor known to man and pulled out a bottle of Jagermeister, and a bottle of something peach-colored. He poured some of each into a tumbler and bent down to what I assumed was a mini-fridge and pulled out a small bottle of what looked like cranberry juice. After he mixed it all together, he poured it into another glass and brought it over to me. "This drink reminds me of something else I wanted to talk to you about."

"Oh?" I took a tentative sip. It tasted fucking awesome and I hummed in approval. "This is really good. What's it called?"

"Glad you like it," he told me. "It's called a _red-headed slut_."

I sputtered in my drink mid-swallow, coughing as I attempted to stop choking. Mr. Damon stood and came to pat my back from behind. He chuckled and went back to sit on the edge of the table.

"Thank you, sir," I choked out.

"You know why I made you _that_ particular drink?"

I blinked at him until the puzzle pieces clicked together in my head. "Rosalie told you…er… her dad, about that too?" I asked, referring to my issue with Victoria – my coworker - screwing my ex behind my back.

Sheepishly, he answered, "Actually…I kind of knew about that a long time ago. I was at that Christmas party, ya know. And word got around this place pretty quick after what happened with you guys last year. I'm real sorry about that, kid. Tough break."

I set my drink down on the table and buried my face in my hands, mortified that even a man at his level knew about my dirty laundry. He patted my back again and when I looked up at him again he actually did look sorry.

"Wait…why would you bring that up?" I asked.

"First, tell me why you wanted to work here at Rolling Stone."

Man his abrupt subject-changes were giving me whiplash. Shrugging, I answered truthfully, "Because I love writing, and I love music."

He raised an eyebrow. "And_ why_ do you love music?"

"Because music is everything to me. It comforts me when I'm sad or pumps me up when I'm happy. It can make you fall in love or help you through a nasty break-up. Some people don't even listen to song lyrics, but I do. Sometimes it's the best form of poetry."

Mr. Damon smiled and nodded. "And you like interviewing the artists, is that right?"

"I love it. Getting to know them in person is like meeting a Greek God himself sometimes."

"How _is_ Masen, by the way?"

Damn, he was good.

I looked down at my hands and sighed. "Sir, I already know that Victoria will be taking over my interview with Edward, and I'm fine with that." And I was. I'd already had plenty of time to decide that there was no point in freaking out about her being alone with him. At some point I'd have to just trust that he loved me and wouldn't do anything to hurt me. He could handle the situation if she tried anything funny. And I _did_ trust him, so that was that. "So if that's why you brought up red-headed sluts…"

"Really? You're fine with it?"

"Yes. I trust him completely." And I did.

"Well…okay… But if you have someone other than Victoria Stone in mind…"

I was taken aback in surprise. "Really? You'd let me pick someone else?" He really didn't have to do that. I really was fine with Victoria doing the interview.

"Sure," he shrugged. "And I bet Masen would rather not be put in that uncomfortable situation anyway. So, you got any ideas?"

That was a no-brainer. "Eric Yorkie would be my first pick..."

"Done. I'll have my secretary give him the good news."

Mr. Damon raised his glass, we clinked and drank. "So…I'm not fired for dating Edward?"

He waved me off. "Nah. But if you were _my_ daughter, I'd be having a very different discussion with you." He shook his head at his drink and muttered, "My daughter… dating a musician?…ugh. Gives me stomach cramps just thinkin' about it."

"God," I groaned. "You sound just like _my_ dad."

"And _you_ sound just like my daughter," he laughed. "Lucky for me, she's dating bone-head chef instead of a musician. He may just be the goofiest fucker I've ever seen in my life, but he treats her right and I don't gotta worry about him leavin her home alone all the time while he's out on the road doing God-knows-what."

"Gee, thanks."

Mr. Damon laughed and stood with his empty glass. "Well, kid, it's been fun talkin' with you, but I've got a butt-load of meetings to get to."

I stood and set my half-empty drink down. "Um…thank you for not firing me," I blurted out and he snickered.

"Not yet," he clarified, jokingly. Or at least I hoped he was joking.

Nodding, I began to move toward the door.

"Oh, and Bella?"

I turned back to him. "Yes, sir?"

"I forgot to mention, you're off music reviews."

"You mean…I'm back on interviews?"

"Yup. Don't disappoint me, kid."

"Yes, sir," I nodded and left the room.

**X-X-X**

Back in my office, I sent off a text to Edward, letting him know the good news about the interview. I knew he was either at the gym with Emmett or still asleep since he didn't have to be in the recording studio until noon. So I wasn't surprised when he didn't text or call me back.

Since I didn't have a new interview assignment yet, I decided to surf the web looking for a new place to rent. After a couple hours of searching, I came up with only three properties to go see.

I then called Emmett's cell to see if he could go with me to look at them. He'd said he would come back and pick me up after work and that I could call if I needed anything, but he didn't answer either, so I decided to go on my own.

As I left my office, I caught sight of Alice talking to one of the other writers by the elevators. We exchanged glances – mine annoyed, and hers worried – before I punched the elevator button with my thumb and stepped inside without a word to her.

I couldn't help being pissed at her. She still hadn't come clean with any of the details of her secret relationship with Jasper Whitlock, and the fact that she'd been hiding this relationship from me for so long, made my blood boil. We were best friends, damn it! She knew every detail of my life because she sucked every last detail out of me every chance she got, and I obviously knew nothing about hers? Maybe I was being stupid, but it hurt that she kept this big secret from me, and was still keeping it from me.

So I figured, _fine_, if she wasn't talking, then I wasn't talking either.

Anyway, I left the building, fought through the crowd of paps, and jumped into a cab to look at the rentals.

The first one was a complete shit hole. No really. I actually thought I had the wrong address until some greasy looking dude with a handle-bar mustache greeted me on the front stoop. The way he was looking at me made me shudder. _Neeeeext._

On the way to the second apartment, I finally got a text from Edward.

**That's great news baby! Just got to the studio with Emmett. Call you later? I don't know what time I'll be home.**

I shot off a quick reply because the cab was almost at the next destination.

**Sounds good. Talk to you later.**

**Ok. I Love you.**

**Love you too. x**

My heart swelled as I put my phone back in my purse.

The second apartment looked a lot like my current residence from the outside and I started to feel hopeful. I really liked the neighborhood as well. The rent was a little steep for my price range since it was in Greenwich Village, but the landlord said she would work with me on the rent and even if she wasn't, I was willing to make some sacrifices in order to afford it.

Then…I went inside. And smelled it. The place smelled like someone had died and the body might be somewhere in the house. The landlord assured me that everything was perfectly fine, no need to worry. She was skittering about the place nervously, making me nervous and skeptical.

"You don't smell that?"

"Nope," she answered right away. Too fast.

There was a huge, rectangular antique rug on one side of the bedroom - which threw me off, because there was no other furniture in the place. So why have a rug? The landlord seemed to be getting more nervous by the second, and I was getting a bad feeling in my gut, so I lifted up the corner of the rug and saw where the smell was coming from.

There _had_ been a dead body there. You could see the outline of blood in the hardwood floor. Horrified, I dropped the rug and walked out of the place without even saying a word to the shifty landlord.

Seriously. Were these people fucking _crazy?_

The third property I found was all the way on the other side of town, but the minute I saw it, I fell in love. The green plants outside were filled with different color flowers - so gorgeous - and the birds were chirping…all that good shit. I said a silent prayer and did the sign of the cross before stepping inside.

It was heaven.

_This_ apartment had to be the best thing since sliced bread. Dark cherry-wood floors, granite counter tops, huge master suite with a walk out balcony, antique brass bathroom fixtures and a large, oval Jacuzzi tub. It even came with an enormous, stainless steel, sub-zero refrigerator. The place was simple yet classy. And the best part was that it was within my budget. Oh and it _didn't _smell like a dead body either, so I took it.

Then I scoured the place just to make sure there wasn't a dead body or any leftovers.

There wasn't.

Thank God.

Gus was the landlord, and he was a very nice elderly man who graciously offered to give me as much time as I needed to decide on the apartment.

A feeling of joy washed over me as I looked around at my gorgeous new apartment.

Sure, it would suck since it was at least an hour away from Edward's place when the traffic was heavy, but we could deal with that.

I signed the lease right then and there, and started calling the movers to get my shit over there ASAP.

**X-X-X**

I thought Edward would've been happy that I found a new place. But instead, he seemed sad, pissy even. When he got back from the studio, it was almost ten o'clock at night and as soon as I told him about the apartment, his mood turned sulky. He claimed he was just tired, but I wasn't completely convinced because he was fine until I'd told him about the apartment.

Early the next morning, I took him by the place so he could see it. I just knew he'd love it if he just saw it. Instead, he kept pointing out stupid things like cracks in the ceiling, a missing drawer handle, creaking doors and shit like that. It kind of pissed me off. Then he started telling me that I should've looked around more because the area didn't look safe, and that's when I blew up.

We were standing in the middle of the kitchen and I was leaning up against the counter. Edward was standing just in front of me with his arms folded across his chest and his ass propped against the center island.

"What is your _problem?_" I yelled slightly, exasperated with his negativity. "You've been talking crap about this place since the minute I told you about it."

He pushed away from the island and glared down at me. "I already told you, I don't like the area! It's not safe, there's not enough locks on the door and it's just…it's just not what I would've picked for you!"

"Well, you don't get to pick where I live, Edward! I like it, and I already signed the damn lease! So can you at least try to be happy for me?"

His green eyes almost looked black as his jaw tightened and he breathed heavily through his nose.

"Fine!"

"_GOOD!_" I yelled louder this time.

"FUCKING GREAT!"

"_THANK YOU!_"

We glared at each other, chests heaving, much like the time at the coffee shop that first day we met.

His lips met mine fiercely as I pulled him to me by the collar of his plaid button-up shirt, clawing my way closer while he attempted to squeeze every inch of my ass with his large hands and long adept fingers.

Teeth clattered and pulses raced. I started unbuttoning his jeans and he took the hint and started lifting up the hem of my sweater dress. I wrapped my leather boot-clad leg around his calf and grinded against him.

It only took seconds before he had my ass up on the counter and buried himself inside me. Briefly I remembered that the movers were arriving with some of my stuff that day, and I just hoped they weren't coming over until later, because there was no way I could stop what was happening.

Each time he thrust into me, my head hit the wooden cupboard and the banging sound echoed through the empty apartment – not that I cared. I wrapped my legs around his waist and encouraged him not to ever stop while his mouth bit at the skin at my neck.

My ass was going to be bruised from the countertop for sure, but I was not going to let that stop me.

Grunts and moans filled the empty space, along with the sound of my head banging against the cupboard until finally I cried out my release and Edward followed soon after.

By the time we caught our breath, the argument over the apartment seemed to be forgotten.

"Well, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on this place," I giggled. "But thanks for helping me christen it."

Edward rolled his eyes with a pleased grin and kissed me slowly and sweetly.

"I'll miss coming home to you," he murmured.

I pulled back to look into sad green eyes. "Is that what's bothering you?"

He only shrugged.

"Edward… I… I don't know what to say. I thought you'd be happy to have me out of your place."

His head bowed and he shook it slightly. "I don't know. I just…It was kind of nice to have someone to come home to, you know?"

"Yeah," I whispered.

Suddenly there was a loud knock on the door and Edward pulled back to stuff himself back into his pants and button up his shirt. I scrambled off the counter and swiped my panties up off the floor, cursing the fact that his man-juice was going to be leaking out all the way to the bathroom.

"Can you get that while I clean up?" I asked him. He really didn't have much choice since I was already more than half-way to the master bathroom.

While I was inside and cleaning up, my mind raced at what he'd said. Was he saying that he wanted me to stay there with him? Like, _live with him?_

_No. He couldn't already want that._

Did_ I _want that?

_No, no. It's too soon for that. And besides, you already know what happens when you move in with a guy. They get comfortable, and they get bored. Then they start shopping for someone who's more exciting and mysterious and…slutty like that bitch Victoria, and…_

There was a knock on the bathroom door.

"Baby, one of your neighbors is here. She wants to meet you."

"Coming…"

A few seconds later I emerged from the bathroom and out into the living room area where I found Edward talking with a little old lady in thick glasses who was unabashedly eye-fucking him while he stood there with his hands in the pockets of his dark jeans. He was too busy trying not to laugh at the fact that I had red splotches all over my neck and chest to notice her fawning all over him.

She wanted to know what all the banging sounds were and once she got a closer look at my neck she figured it out and was obviously appalled.

_Great, already making friends._

She told me that she liked her peace and quiet and didn't much care for having a celebrity living there. It seemed she knew very well who Edward Masen was and she made it known that if my living there brought problems, she would speak to the landlord and have me evicted.

Apparently she was very close to Gus – my new landlord, and if she had _that_ much pull with him, then obviously they were boning.

Barf.

**X-X-X**

The next couple weeks flew by and dragged on at the same time. Edward spent all day and night at the studio while I spent my time researching my next interview with an upcoming rapper named Wiz Khalifa. Since I knew Rosalie was more into rap than I was, I called her and asked her to tell me what she knew about him.

She almost shit a brick when I told her he was coming to New York to do the interview with me the following week. I told her she could come along if she wanted and she freaked out and promised me she would name her first-born daughter after me. I couldn't help but laugh.

Edward and I barely saw each other.

And so, after the interview was done and things had just started to calm down, I received the phone call I'd been dreading for a while. Edward had called me to tell me that Irina Skye was at the studio and that he wanted me to come down and meet her.

Yay.

Can't you just see my eyes rolling?

It was just after one in the afternoon when I arrived at Cantante Sound FX Studios. Emmett went with me – as always – and before long we were standing in a small darkly lit room with a piano, two microphones, two plush chairs, and two ridiculously large implants that were attached to none other than Irina Skye.

"Irina, this is my girlfriend Bella," he said with his arm around my waist. I held out a hand to her and she shook it lightly.

"Nice to meet you, Bella. Edward's told me all about you," she smiled warmly.

She was extremely polite instead of being catty like I'd expected and it threw me off. She even told me she liked my leggings and my boots and that she had the exact blouse that I had on. She was all smiles and compliments towards me and boy did Edward think she was funny.

I really wanted to hate her guts but she was just so damn friendly and warm that I couldn't find anything to hate about her.

It was definitely not what I had expected of our first meeting.

I couldn't even hate on her ridiculously large plastic boobs, and no, I wasn't jealous of her giant fun-bags. I happened to love my b-cups, thank you.

But then there was the touching. Every time she told Edward something, she just _had_ to touch his bicep for at least a good ten seconds.

My face twitched and my scalp prickled, but I'm proud to say, I kept my cool.

I knew it was just a reflex of my girlfriend instincts to want no other woman to touch him, so I shrugged it off. Although, I couldn't help but wonder what Edward would've done if a guy was touching me like that in front of him.

Alice was always a "touchy-feely" kind of person, but nothing like Irina. Even Emmett seemed to sense it. More than a few times he looked at me to check my reaction. It made me wonder if my face was giving me away.

I took a deep breath and forced myself to relax even though something deep inside me wanted to snap.

_Edward is with you, Bella. Calm the hell down and get over it. You trust him. He's not going to do anything with her. She can touch his arm all she wants, he's with you. Now grow the fuck up and relax._

_He's with you._

_Edward loves you._

I smiled at the thought and felt myself loosen up.

So apparently, Irina had a magazine shoot to get to and she couldn't stay but was so glad to meet me. She even gave _me_ a quick hug. It felt kind of weird for some reason, maybe because I never just hugged people I'd just met, but I went with it.

Then she turned and gave Edward _his_ hug.

It was _way_ too long of a hug if you asked me, and even Emmett glanced in my direction, but again I let it go and internally slapped myself for even starting to get upset.

After she left, Edward showed me around the studio and introduced me to Marcus, his music producer, and Caius, his sound mixer. The two of them were kind of creepy, and I didn't like the way Caius kept looking at my tits. If he was trying to be subtle about it, he was failing miserably and he was lucky that Edward hadn't seen it – judging from the way he'd reacted to Mike the doorman.

"So what do you think," Edward asked me. We were sitting in one of the chairs in the room where he was recording, me in his lap. His guitar was leaning up against the arm of the chair and I was fiddling with the little knobby things at the top, trying not to rip his clothes off right then and there with Caius, Marcus and Emmett watching from the other side of the glass.

"It's really nice in here. Cozy."

"Yeah," he smiled. "And what'd you think of Irina? She's pretty cool, right?"

"Mm-hmm. Cool." I couldn't help the fact that I sounded like a smartass when saying it. It just came out that way.

He side-eyed me while I stared at the shadow of scruff on his jaw and chin. "What's_ that_ for?"

"What's _what_ for?"

"That look."

"What look?" I hadn't realized I'd given any sort of _look _other than the _"I wanna lick the skin off your face"_ look.

"You don't like her do you?"

I shrugged and continued to pick at the knobby things. "She's fine. And I'm glad you guys get along."

Edward raised an eyebrow, obviously doubting my statement. "O-kay… well, I better get back to writing. I only have a few possible songs on paper so far and I can't come up with a bridge for one of them, so I need to get back to it."

Nodding, I made to sit up but he trapped me and pulled me back down, covering my mouth with his. It was a somewhat chaste kiss, and I could only assume that it was because Marcus and Caius were on the other side of the glass – watching us.

"I miss you," he told me against my lips.

"So come over tonight." Since he'd been at the studio late every night we hadn't had much alone time together and I was beginning to go ape-shit just from smelling his heady scent at the moment. The top buttons of his flannel shirt were open, a tiny amount of bronze chest hair peeking out at me.

I licked my lips.

"It might be really late and you have work in the morning," he murmured, his lips brushing against the corner of my mouth, causing my breaths to stutter.

"I gave you a key," I whispered. "You can just come in and wake me up if I don't answer the door." His body shuddered as I ran my hand up his arm to his neck, fingering through the shaggy hair at the back of his head. Forgetting we were not alone, I wrapped my lips around his and teased him with just the tip of my tongue. His hands moved down to dig into the flesh of my jean-clad ass and I groaned before pulling away. I could feel him hard and ready underneath me, but now was not the time. "We have to stop, and you have to work. Come over later though, kay?"

With another nip of my lips, he replied, "Kay. I'll see you tonight. I love you."

"I love you too." His green eyes sparkled as he smiled the smile that was only for me and I buckled under his loving stare. Unable to resist the urge, I kissed him again, deeply this time and suddenly there was a clicking sound in the room.

Marcus's voice wafted over us. "Uh…I hate to break up the party, but you guys are making us sick in here," he joked.

Edward and I both laughed and he finally released me, swatting me on the ass as I walked away. I turned to see him picking up the guitar to cover the bulge in his pants and winking at me with his sexy side-smile.

I pretty much floated out of the studio with Emmett by my side, rolling his eyes and teasing me for smiling so hard.

And when I got home that evening, I barely had time to take a shower before I heard keys jingling in the door.

He'd cut the recording session short, just to spend time with me.

And I made sure to reward him generously for the effort.

**X-X-X**

Over the next week, things were going so well as fare at the paparazzi was concerned, that I decided I didn't need Emmett following me around everywhere like a damned shadow. He honestly looked bored out of his skull all the time, and I just felt he could be doing other things besides accompanying me to work and back. Plus he'd skipped out on meeting up with Rosalie several times just so he could be there to escort _me_ to lunch.

I couldn't take it anymore so I told Emmett to kick rocks and go be with his lady or stay at the studio with Edward. Besides, he was always bitching about my nervous leg shaking habit and my nail biting, and we fought over the music on the iPod constantly. It was like having an annoying older brother or something.

Edward wasn't happy about my decision _at all_, but I put my foot down and that was that.

Okay, so it didn't exactly go like that, but we agreed to disagree, once again. I also compromised and agreed to have Emmett come back as my full-time shadow if anything crazy should happen with the paps.

Oh, and did I mention that the rag mags had already made up the story that I'd started dating Edward to further my own career as a journalist? Yeah, like I didn't see that one coming a mile away. The one that sort of pissed me off though was the one that said we were getting married already because I was pregnant. They even had a picture of me coming out of the doors at work and a big red arrow pointing at my "baby bump".

Fucking idiots.

_Excuse me_ for being bloated from my period and eating too much pasta at lunch.

Lying bastards.

It was the day after I'd read that tabloid and had come to work in a foul mood, when I ran straight into Alice as I got off the Elevator.

"Sorry," I muttered and tried to duck past her.

"Bella, wait!"

I turned. "What do you want, Alice?"

She looked like she hadn't been sleeping well. "I can't stand this anymore. Can't we talk?"

"Are you ready to tell me _everything?_"

Alice hesitated and I raised an eyebrow and waited. She let out a nervous breath. "I'm just…I'm afraid of what you'll think of me if I tell you everything."

"Alice…"

"Come to my office," she murmured sadly, looking down at her feet. "I'll tell you all of it."

I nodded and followed behind her until we reached her office. Once inside, she closed the blinds and locked the door. We sat down and she worried her hands together then stood, brought her chair to sit directly in front of mine. I thought she was going to start talking but instead she started crying and threw her little arms around my neck.

"Ali?" I held her close. "What's going on? You're scaring the shit out of me."

"You're going to hate me, I just know it," she sobbed.

I patted her back and forced her to look at me. "I promise, unless you boned Riley behind my back too, I won't hate you."

She laughed through her tears. "That's fucking disgusting, Bella. Don't make me puke."

We giggled slightly and my heart ached. I really missed Alice, I just hadn't realized how much until that moment.

"Come on, Ali, just fucking spill it already. Tell me why you kept Jasper a secret from me all this time."

She took a deep breath and sat back in her chair. "Oh God…this is going to be bad, I just know it. Fuck, here goes… Remember when you first started here and you got your first interview assignment?"

"Jesus," I groaned. "Are we back to talking about Meyer again? I thought I already said-"

"Josh Meyer wasn't your first assignment," she interrupted.

"Well yeah, I know. It was some unknown indie band from Texas. You didn't even tell me the name of the band, remember? You said they cancelled because the lead singer got mono or something."

Alice wouldn't look at me.

"Mary-Alice Constance Brandon…what the fuck are you trying to tell me exactly?"

"Well…" she whined, sounding like Lucy Ricardo. "He didn't exactly get mono…I sort of switched your interview with one of the guys who had Meyer, and then I had dinner and drinks with Jasper and his band after the interview."

I could hear my own breathing. That's how quiet it was in her office.

"Why would you do that?" I whispered. "Why would you throw me to the wolves like that?"

She sniffed back some residual tears. "Because I had this weird nightmare the week before you were supposed to interview him and the band, and you two were hitting it off so well in the dream, and then you two were making out in front of me and it just seemed so real, and you're _so gorgeous_ and you guys have the same sort of hobo style and I had this major crush on him since they scouted him for the magazine and… and…I don't know! I panicked! I…I just figured you might hit it off with Meyer and that it'd work out. I never thought he'd take advantage of you like that. I'm so sorry, Bella!"

Gaping like a hooked fish, I blinked at her.

"You…you switched my interview because of a _bad dream?_"

"I know. I'm so, so sorry. I can't even tell you how horrible I feel. It's been killing me for so long."

"Alice, I don't even find Jasper attractive! And besides, if you would've just told me you were interested in him, I wouldn't have made a move on him even if I _was!_ God, what the hell do you think I am, some sort of asshole friend? And what the hell are you talking about? You're _so_ much more glamorous and beautiful than I am. And you have a _way_ better rack than I do."

She shook her head and continued to sniffle. "I'm so ashamed. That's why I kept it from you this whole time. I knew that if I told you about Jasper, you'd put two and two together and you'd figure it out, and then you'd hate me for getting you mixed up with Meyer."

I sighed and buried my forehead in my right hand, rubbing my now aching temples, mumbling, "I can't believe this shit."

"I know, I know," she sobbed.

"You should be strung up by your pubes and forced to listen to Michael Bolton until your ears bleed."

"I know!" she wailed, crying into her hands.

"I should make you walk around the building all day with a toilet seat cover sticking out of your dress and your underwear showing."

Alice nodded quickly. "You should just never speak to me again. I deserve that."

I rolled my eyes. God, she could be so dramatic sometimes. "I should tell the whole magazine that you have a super hairy muff and that it smells like rotten tuna with crabs the size of beetles."

She grimaced hard, but nodded. "I wouldn't blame you if you did."

Yeah, she definitely felt like dog shit if she could agree to that one.

"Ali, look at me."

Finally she met my eyes and I tilted my head and smiled as I wiped the smudged mascara away from her baby blues.

"You don't hate me?" she whispered.

I shook my head. "I _am_ still kind of pissed for being lied to all this time, but I don't hate you." She looked so damn sad that I just couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't stand to see her hurting like that. And I remembered how she took care of me after everything with Riley happened, and how she stayed up until four in the morning while I dry-heaved into the toilet when my grandma died. She was the best friend I ever had, there was no denying it. And it was obvious that she was extremely remorseful. So I decided to forget the whole shitty mess, and forgive her. "Now, stop acting like a whiney bitch and give me a fucking hug already."

The last word barely crossed my lips before she launched herself at me and flung her tiny little arms tightly around my neck.

"Can't breathe…Alice…" I gasped. "Fuck…choking me…"

She pulled back and smiled sadly at me. I pulled her back into another hug and told her I forgave her.

Hey, what can I say? I loved that crazy-ass midget like my own flesh and blood. I couldn't say I truly understood why she did what she did, or that it didn't hurt to be deceived like that, but sometimes, you just have to learn when to let shit go. God knows she had forgiven me for some really dumb shit during our friendship, like the time I completely forgot her birthday and didn't realize until a week later.

I know, I'm a douche.

Alice and I spent the rest of the day talking about all the details of her relationship with Jasper – everything I'd missed over the past year or so. Every detail I'd missed out on made my heart ache just a little, but I knew we'd have plenty of time in the future to share new memories together.

It was a euphoric feeling that day. Alice and I both had musician boyfriends who loved us, I was back to interviews and kicking ass, Irina Skye turned out to be nice and not a slutty whore-bag, Edward was slowly warming up to my new apartment – okay, not really, and I had my best friend back.

Things were finally starting to look up.

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**A/N: **So... Irina is actually a nice girl and she really likes Bella. And you guys were worried... heh heh heeeehhh.** *evil grin***

What'd you guys think of Mr. Damon? How bout Alice's explanation? The kitchen counter sex? Who wants to kick Irina in the taco already?

I've already started writing the next chapter and have about half of it done. I'm not sure when it will be up though. I'll give you a hint as to what's coming though - it has to do with apartments. Not enough of a hint? TOO BAD! Lol. See ya'll next time. xo =)

**I'm on Twitter if you want to come harass me for updates: Queenbeee78**


	15. Chapter 15

**Disclaimer: **No copyright infringement is intended. All characters belong to SM, all songs and lyrics belong to their respective artists and labels. I own nothing, just having fun with them.

A/N: Apologies for the massive delay. Holidays and all... Anyway, I'm very nervous about this chapter but I hope you will like. I've included links to the songs used just in case.

Also, thank you so, so, SO much to all who have added, favorited, and/or reviewed. I'm blown away by the response to this story. Love you all. Mwah! :)

* * *

**Chapter Songs: **

"**Blackbird"** – The Beatles – performed by Christina Perri

http:/www. youtube . com /watch?v=jqLOL6eu6N8

"**I Will"** – The Beatles – performed by Christina Perri

http:/www. youtube . com /watch?v=w5BgdZ5iBOk

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Chapter 15

**There Goes the Fucking Neighborhood**

Edward groaned through the phone. _"Baby, you're killing me right now. I'm trying to work on a song here."_

Killing _him?_ His gravelly, deep voice was about to be the death of _me_.

"Sorry," I replied sweetly. "I just thought you'd be interested in the fact that I forgot to put panties on today. But if you're busy…"

I slipped out of the Jeep – just after ten at night – and closed the door, smiling as I walked up the sidewalk and heard Edward hit a sour note on his guitar and his breath catch on the other end. He was alone at the studio with Marcus and Caius, and I was just getting home from work thanks to a last minute brainstorming session that our new Editor in Chief had called. It was a late night for both of us.

"_Christ, woman,"_ Edward whispered._ "Are you telling me… you walked around all day… in that skirt… with no panties on?"_

It was a long pencil skirt and I _did_ have panties on, I was just messing with him.

"Mm-hmm…" I purred, waiting for his reaction.

As I grabbed my mail from its slot he cleared his throat and mumbled something to someone on his end. I began climbing the stairs.

Edward let out a long slow breath. _"I know what you're doing…" _he murmured. "_And it's not fair."_

A devious smile crept upon my lips as I hit the last few steps. "What am I doing?" I asked in a low husky voice. I could hear him shuffling the phone around and then what sounded like a door closing. He must've gone to a private room or the bathroom or something. I couldn't remember the layout of the studio, since I had only been there the one time.

"_Bella,"_ he gritted out. _"Do you know how fucking hard I am right now? And we're right in the middle of recording a song. I can't go in there with this in my pants and I can't just leave either."_ Thankfully, he didn't actually sound mad.

I snickered. "Sorry…"

"_Oh, you're gonna get it later,"_ he teased.

"Promises, promises," I teased and went to slide my key in the door. Edward cleared his throat again, but I continued on with my teasing. "I could talk you through your little… problem," I offered as I turned the lock and pushed the door open. Edward was saying something about _"not enough time"_ when I gasped and dropped my keys on the floor.

My entire apartment looked like a tornado had blown through it. The sofa was turned over and there were papers and pillow feathers everywhere. My heart pumped furiously in my chest.

"Holy _shit_," I murmured breathlessly, my blood running cold as I abandoned the keys and reached into my purse for the can of pepper spray my dad always sent me for my birthday. Terror ripped through me, but I tried to remain calm and take slow breaths. _Stay in control of the situation_, my father always told me when preparing me for times of crisis. _Be aware of your surroundings, and expect the unexpected._

"_What's going on," _Edward asked_. "What's wrong?"_

Gripping the little black canister with shaky fingers and flipping back the safety lever, I slowly made my way into the apartment, cautiously taking in my surroundings. The window to the fire escape was broken, the wire grate pried open, as the cold night air wafted inside, making my silky blue curtains blow slowly with the chilly breeze.

"_Bella, what the fuck's going on?"_ I could hear the worry in his tone, but I had to ignore him for the moment.

I looked around to find that all the kitchen drawers had been pulled out, silverware and bowls scattered all along the kitchen floor. To my right, all my books had been tossed from their shelves and onto the floor, again, covered in feathers. All my throw pillows from the sofa had been massacred and my DVD's had been rummaged through, but were still there.

The TV was still there, as was the DVD player and my Bose Stereo system. Being the daughter of a cop, that fact jumped out at me. It didn't make sense. If it was a burglar, they would've taken those things.

"_Bella! God damn it, answer me! Fuck!"_

"Calm down," I finally hissed, just in case whoever had been in my apartment was still there. "Someone's broke into my place," I continued to whisper. "Probably just some punk-ass kids. They didn't even take anything."

"_What? Someone broke in… Calm down? Are you…what are you still doing in there? Get the fuck out of there and call the cops!"_

Ignoring his curses and growls, I remained focused and continued to assess the damage as I made my way through the apartment. If the jackass was still inside, I was going to end his ass once I got my shotgun from under my bed. There were plenty of things that they could've stolen like my jewelry or my Nintendo Wii, but they didn't. Punk-ass kids would've taken that shit in a heartbeat.

_Shit_.

What the fuck _was_ going on?

Continuing to ignore Edward's furious shouts, I entered my bedroom and looked over to my desk. My laptop was gone, as were some of my pictures of me and Edward, that I'd printed out from my camera.

Pictures- all gone. Who would steal my personal pictures?

It hit me as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown on me.

_Paparazzi. _

It had to be. It was the only logical explanation my brain could come up with. Who else would only take my laptop and pictures?

_Those dirty, sleazy motherfuckers!_

_I can't believe this! What the fuck is wrong with people?_

I became irate and as I saw my underwear and clothes scattered on the floor then felt sick to my stomach. For some reason, the thought crossed my mind that at least we hadn't made a damn sex tape or anything because I was now sure that they would've taken that as well. _Maybe that's what they were looking for…_

Now that I'd pretty much been through the entire apartment and found no other persons, the shotgun was now un-necessary. Edward was still having kittens on the other end of the phone.

"_Bella! Get out of the fucking apartment! Do you fucking hear me?"_

"Yeah, I hear you! Jeez, I told you to calm down. It's not like I've never been through this before." It was true. My apartment with Riley had been burglarized twice, but they had only taken electronics and Riley's collection of comic books. They were lucky I hadn't been home, or else they would've been pumped full of lead. Charlie taught me how to use that shotgun, and I was sure-as-shit not afraid to use it in my own apartment.

"_Son-of-a-bitch, fucking stubborn woman,"_ he muttered angrily._ "I'm coming over there now…Fuck!"_ The phone disconnected just as I remembered that I needed to check on Felix. He always hid under my bed when there were thunderstorms so I crouched down and lifted the bed-skirt. Two terrified eyes stared back at me from the far corner and my heart sunk.

"Aww…come on, big guy. Mommy's here. Come on…"

It took me a good twenty minutes to coax him out, but once I did, we sat on top of my bed while I called the police. They arrived just before Edward and Emmett showed up.

I don't think I've ever seen Edward's face so red. Dare I say it was kind of hot… And even though I insisted numerous times that I was fine, he kept checking me to see if I had gone into shock, offering me Pepsi over and over again.

"I'm _fine_," I insisted once again, trying to push the cold can of soda away as we sat on my now righted sofa.

"Just drink it, please. It'll make _me_ feel better."

Sighing with exasperation, I took the glass from him and chugged down half the contents just to shut him up, knowing the caffeine would make it harder for me to sleep that night. I let out a long, deep belch, earning a high-five from Emmett and an eye-roll from Edward. Usually Edward thought it was funny as hell when I'd burp loudly like that, but this time he was having none of it. I was only trying to lighten the mood.

Okay, I was trying to distract him from the inevitable _"I told you so"_ that I knew he would give me, but whatever.

The front door slammed shut behind me and I jumped out of sheer reflex. It was just one of the young officers who had just finished questioning my neighbors. I wanted to slingshot him in the balls for scaring me like that. Fucking rookie.

"See," Edward said beside me. "You're not _fine_."

Okay, so he was right, I wasn't fine. To tell you the truth, knowing some strange person had been in my house – touched my things – unnerved me to no end. I set the drink down on the coffee table and buried my face in my hands, completely wiped out. The officers were still dusting for prints as Edward wrapped a blanket around my shoulders and pulled me into his strong embrace.

When the cops finally left, Edward sighed. "Go pack your stuff so we can go home," he gently told me.

I looked up to meet his worried green eyes and melted like a candy bar on a hot July sidewalk, nodding my head in agreement. Maybe he didn't need to say, _"I told you so."_ Maybe this wasn't the best neighborhood to live in. But at least he didn't say it.

And now I was going to have to get an alarm system. Or a pit bull.

**X-X-X**

Emmett held onto my large suitcase of clothes and Felix's litter box while Edward carried Felix in his cat-carrier in one hand and held me in the other. The entire drive back to Edward's apartment, I assured him that I would only stay with him for a short time until I could get more locks put on the apartment door and some bars on the fire escape window.

"You're not going back there," he told me with finality as we ducked into the back entrance of his apartment building. "Ever."

"_Excuse_ me?"

I hated being told what to do, especially by a man, and definitely by a man who wasn't my father.

"I don't care if you put twenty fucking locks on that door and a…a laser fucking force-field on that window, you're not going back there. You're breaking the lease and you're staying with me where I know you'll be safe." I could see the little vein on the side of his forehead throbbing angrily.

"Are you fucking high right now?" I yelled. "You can't tell me what I _am_ or _am not_ doing!"

Emmett stayed quiet as we rode the elevator up. Come to think of it, he hadn't said much at my apartment either. He must've known Edward was gonna go all caveman on me.

"Bella, do you have _any_ fucking idea how worried I was, not knowing who was there with you, knowing you weren't safe there this whole time. I knew something bad was gonna happen there, I fucking knew it! And then you try to go after the assholes with your stupid little can of pepper-spray like you're fucking Rambo or something. Are you out of your goddamn mind?"

Finally, Emmett chimed in from behind us. "Dude, calm down."

Edward halted his steps in front of his apartment door and turned around to face Emmett while still gripping my hand tightly. "_Calm down?" _he yelled, his ears turning pink and then red. It reminded me of the way Charlie would get when he was really pissed about something and it was all I could do not to laugh. "How would _you_ feel knowing Rosalie was living in the ghetto and you couldn't keep her safe because she was too damn stubborn to know what's good for her?"

My jaw dropped in surprise and I gasped while Emmett kept on. "It wasn't the ghetto, dude. Stop being such a fucking drama queen."

"_Thank you_, Emmett," I told him with a satisfied grin, then turned my attention to Edward. "And you - I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!" Edward scoffed and rolled his eyes again, shoving his key angrily into the lock and punching the door open with the side of his enraged fist.

We all entered Edward's apartment and he tossed the keys on the marble kitchen counter as I kicked off my boots by the front door. Emmett set the cat litter box down in one of the guest bathrooms and I didn't see where he put my suitcase, but I assumed he'd put it in Edward's bedroom.

Edward seemed extremely tense as he leaned over the counter by the stove, so I went to the refrigerator and pulled out a beer, offering it to Edward. He shook his head without a word, so I chugged some of it down, myself. Emmett appeared in the kitchen and told us he was going home to Rosalie. We said our goodbyes before he slipped out the door, giving me an apologetic smile and rolling his eyes at Edward behind his back. I laughed as quietly as I could as I went to the door to lock the deadbolt.

After locking the door behind Emmett, I took another long pull from the beer bottle and moved to place my body behind Edward – who was still brooding in front of the stove – and wrapped my arms around his waist, pulling myself up against his strong back. He seemed to relax slightly, sighing heavily.

"I'm _fine_," I assured him again. "Why won't you believe me?"

He turned slowly and cupped my face in his hands while I moved mine to his broad chest. "Please… promise me you won't go back to that apartment."

I rolled my eyes. "Edward…"

"I'll help you find someplace else, just _please_, promise me."

Like a whiney child, I resorted to pouting, because damn it, I really loved that apartment. But I knew deep down that he was right – I shouldn't go back there. It was just too easy to get access to my apartment. Even if they hadn't climbed the fire-escape, they could've easily just found a way in through the front. "But I _really_ liked the bathtub there," I whined.

"_My_ bathtub is better," he countered.

My eyes blinked. What was he trying to say with that?

"Um…" I didn't know what to say.

"Please?"

Then he made the cutest damn puppy dog face and pouted his lips, and I caved.

What could I do? Who could say 'no' to that face?

"Okay,_ fine_," I agreed begrudgingly. "I'll stay here, _temporarily_, until I find _yet another_ new place. But only because I want to, not because you're forcing me." Edward smiled triumphantly before finally kissing me. His lips attacked mine hungrily, his arms held me so tight. There was so much love and desperation in his kiss, and it left me breathless as usual. When he pulled back, I suddenly remembered what he'd left behind to be with me at my apartment. "Oh shit, I messed up your recording session, didn't I?"

Edward shrugged. "It's alright. I wasn't really feeling the song Irina picked anyway. Too cheesy," he added as he scrunched up his nose.

"Oh. She was there?"

"Yeah, it's the first time she's been able to get into the studio with all her photo-shoots and crap she's been scheduled for. Plus, she's working on her own album back in Los Angeles. I feel bad for her – having to fly out here all the time just to work with me."

_Feel bad for her? Isn't that her job? Whatever. I wonder what song they were singing._

"So…the duet…What was the song about?" I asked.

I wasn't sure I really wanted to know, especially since I knew it'd be a stupid love song – as most duets are. There's just something weird about having your boyfriend sing a love song with another girl that ties your stomach into knots. Or at least for me it did. I tried to not feel that way, but you can't help the way you feel.

"Some sappy love song about a fairytale romance or some shit. The record label gave her a CD full of tracks and lyrics they have the rights to. I tried – I really did, but I just couldn't get into it. Too _mainstream, Top forty_ I guess." He shrugged again.

"I'm sure you guys will come up with something you can both agree on."

He ended our duet discussion for the moment when he placed three soft, lingering kisses on my eager lips.

As we crawled into bed together that night, he continued to tell me all about the crappy songs Irina had tried to get him to sing. They all sounded lame as hell to me, but I kept quiet. Then he told me all about how funny she was and how they mostly told jokes instead of singing songs. I couldn't help the pang of jealousy that lurched through me as he continued on and on about her. The more times he said her name, the more I wanted to tell him to shut up. I stayed quiet until I couldn't take any more of hearing her and how cool she was, so I yawned dramatically a few times, then pretended to fall asleep.

That finally worked to shut him up about her.

Edward pulled me close and wrapped his toned arms around me until eventually his slow, steady breathing signaled that he'd gone to sleep. For the next two hours I stared up at the ceiling as my mind raced from the events of the day, reality hitting me full force.

How was it that I already had to look for yet another place to live in such a short amount of time? Was this what my life would be like with Edward for as long as we dated? Always having to look over my shoulder? Never knowing where my home was?

And why did just _hearing_ Irina's name on Edward's lips made me want to vomit or spit fire, even though she was nice and didn't give me any reason to mistrust her intentions?

What if she wasn't really as nice and good-hearted as she seemed? What if she really was some sneaky little home-wrecking leech like the tabloids and news stories had painted her to be? What if she had some master plan to befriend me, make me look like the worst girlfriend in the world, and then steal Edward right out from under me?

_Jesus, Bella, stop being so cynical. Maybe she really is nice and you're just being an asshole._

I mentally slapped myself for even thinking such crazy thoughts about her, sighed and closed my eyes, waiting for sleep to come take me.

When I finally drifted off an hour or so later, I dreamed of Edward, of course. But soon my sweet dream turned into a horrifying nightmare where Edward was dumping me for some unknown reason. He wouldn't talk to me or even look at me and the feeling of helplessness was crushing.

Out of nowhere, Irina suddenly appeared by his side and whispered something in his ear that made him intensely angry with me. The next thing I knew, Edward and I were standing in the middle of the Central Park Zoo and the lions were furiously growling at me as the hyenas laughed from another corner of my vision. When a gorilla started charging at me from my left, I turned to grab Edward so we could run, but he was gone and I was all alone with a herd of wild animals charging toward me. I always hated nightmares like that because you knew it was all completely absurd and impossible, but you couldn't make it stop unless you could get yourself to wake up.

Suddenly I was back in Forks, standing on the edge of the cliffs near La Push with a russet-colored wolf by my side. The wolf was howling with the strong ocean breeze and when I looked down, the ocean was somehow filled with fire instead of water. The white-hot flames reached up high, a sea of crimson and gold.

I went to take a step back from the heat, but Irina was suddenly there and she gave me a devious smile before she lunged at me and pushed me hard, off the edge of the cliff.

The last thing I remember was the feeling of falling and a flash of yellow light before I woke up in a cold sweat that morning. And to add salt to the wound, the bed was empty and Edward's vast apartment was quiet. The clock on the nightstand said that it was just after ten in the morning. I had no idea where Edward was, and for the life of me, I couldn't remember what time he'd said he was going into the studio that day. But I wasn't worried about it, and I knew I needed to take a shower anyway to wash the stinky sweat and the crazy nightmare away.

Just as I was about to jump in the shower, I noticed Edward's iHome dock on the edge of the bathroom counter. I'd been wanting to test out the acoustics in his vast bathroom compared to my smaller space, but didn't want to do it when he was around and embarrass myself, so this was the perfect opportunity.

I ran back to the bed and pulled my iPod out of my purse, skipped back into the bathroom to hook it up and find the playlist of songs I liked to sing in the shower. After all, singing in the shower or in the car was the only way to go if you didn't want to sound like shit. And it was the only place I ever dared to sing – alone. No witnesses.

The first song on my shower-tunes playlist was _'Heartbreaker'_ by Pink, and after I butchered that to death and finished shaving my legs, I moved on to sing, '_I think I'm paranoid'_ by Garbage as I scrubbed the shampoo through my hair.

"_You can look but you can't touch… I don't think I like you much… Heaven knows what a girl can do…Heaven knows what you've got to prove- I think I'm paranoid…"_

I was really getting into it as I rinsed my hair of the shampoo and conditioner, exfoliated my face with some sugar scrub and stood under the hot spray as I belted out the last part of the song.

"_Steal me, deal me, any way ya heal me!...Make me, take me, you can never change me!… Love me, like me, go ahead and fight me!... Please me, tease me, go ahead and leave me!"_

I shut off the water and grabbed a towel as the song finished.

"_Bend me, break me, any way ya need me, as long as I want ya baby it's alright. Bend me, break me, any way ya need me, as long as I want ya baby it's alright."_

Christina Perri's _Jar of Hearts_ came on and I was tempted to sing that one as well, but decided to let Christina sing it herself as I wrapped myself in the plush, black towel, brushed my teeth and combed through my hair.

When I stepped out of the bathroom and found Edward sitting on the foot of the bed with a bag of food in his hand and a dumbfounded look on his stubbly face, I almost dropped my brush at his unexpected presence.

"Edward," I gasped. "I thought you were at the studio."

_Please tell me he wasn't listening… Please tell me he wasn't listening…_

My mom was the only other person who'd heard my horribly embarrassing shower singing and I had intended to keep it that way.

"Um…I decided to stay here with you for the day, and I went to get us some bagels and coffee – Bella, how come you never told me you could sing?"

_NOOOOOOOOOO! _

My cheeks and chest instantly flamed with humiliation.

"Uh…that wasn't me, that was the iPod," I lied and moved to quickly get dressed. Frantically, I started tearing clothes out of my suitcase, hoping he'd just let it go.

"No…I clearly heard _your_ voice over the music."

I pulled my bra on hastily along with a pair of mismatching panties before pulling a pair of skinny jeans on and getting frustrated as they stuck to my damp skin, ignoring Edward's argument.

"Bella…"

"_What!_" I snapped. He raised an eyebrow and smirked at me. "Okay, fine! Yes, that was my horrible voice, no, you'll never hear it again, and if you ever tell anyone about this, I'll kick your ass." I threw a tight white camisole over my head, followed by a thin, maroon sweater, my back to Edward. I wanted to scream and run out of the room because I'd never felt so mortified. He was the_ last_ person I'd wanted to hear my wretched singing.

Ever since I'd sung in the Christmas play in third grade, I vowed never to sing in public again. Kate Michaels, the most popular girl in school, told me I sounded like a wounded cat. Everyone laughed at me, and I cried for three days straight.

Hearing commotion behind me, I turned slightly to find Edward pulling one of his guitars from its stand on the side of the room. He sat back down on the edge of the bed and started tuning and strumming the guitar. Satisfied that he'd heeded my warning about letting the whole singing thing go, I started past him to go put some mascara on, but he reached out and grabbed me by the hip, stopping me.

I released a strangled breath and squeezed my eyes shut. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, I just… _never_ intended for you to hear that," I explained. "I'm completely humiliated."

He moved the guitar to lay it down on the bed and pulled me to sit sideways on his lap.

"Bella, I think I need to have Carlisle take you in to get your head scanned."

"_What?"_

He smiled and pulled me closer to him. "You sound _amazing_, and you're crazy if you're embarrassed by it."

Stubbornly, I shook my head and laughed through my nose. "You're just saying that because you're my boyfriend and you don't want me to cut you off from getting blowjobs."

Edward chuckled and shook his head. "I'll gladly go without blowjobs for the rest of my life just to hear you sing again."

I turned my head to look at him, skepticism clear on my face. "Maybe _you_ need to go have _your_ head scanned."

"Your mom told me you could sing, but I didn't really believe her until today. I mean, I remember you singing on the plane when I first met you, but that was nothing compared to what I just heard."

"Wait… My mom told you about my singing?"

"Yes, now will you please stop being a pain in the ass and sing for me?"

I groaned. _Hell_ no. That was not happening. Edward had a beautiful voice. It would be like Miss Piggy doing a duet with Curt Cobain. Fuck _that_ kind of pressure.

"Uh-uh. No way."

Lips descended gently on my collarbone, instantly setting my skin ablaze. _What were we talking about exactly? Oh…yeah, right there by my ear…shit. _"Please?" he begged against my neck.

"Edward…no," I choked out in a strangled voice.

One of his hands wormed its way between my thighs and started rubbing against the seam of my jeans. I took his jaw into my hands and swallowed his bottom lip with my mouth, thinking I'd finally won the fight and distracted him from his mission. He continued to rub me just the right way until I couldn't take it anymore and started to undo his zipper.

Suddenly the rubbing stopped and his hands clamped down on my wrists. "Maybe I'll cut _you_ off from sex completely until you sing for me again."

My eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."

"I went for more than a year without sex before you, Bella. Don't underestimate me."

_Oh really._

There was no way he could make good on that threat for too long, but I wanted to test him so I jumped off his lap and started pulling my shirt up like a burlesque girl, teasing and taunting. His breathing picked up, so I pushed it further, pulling the lace of my bra down until both breasts were peeking out, calling to him.

But, I didn't get the reaction I expected.

Edward growled with frustration and threw his head down into his hands. "God, you're so fucking stubborn. Why can't you just believe that you're great? Why can't you just trust me?"

He was angry and it threw me for a loop. I put my boobs away and pulled my shirt back down, then sat on the bed, on the other side of the guitar.

"You really don't think I suck?"

He still wouldn't look at me. "I already told you your voice was amazing… You know what? Just forget it," he snapped and started to get up but I grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Wait!" He stopped and stared down at me, still looking pissed as hell. "I…I'll sing, okay? Just don't be mad at me."

"Forget it. I'm not gonna force you," he said.

I gulped, not really believing what I was about to say. "You're not forcing me. I want to."

"You're sure?"

Again I gulped, my throat closing up and my mouth suddenly feeling dry as a desert. "Yes…"

_No. Holy mother of… Am I really going to do this? Am I really going to sing for this man who wins awards for this shit? I think I'm really going to be sick._

But I couldn't tell him 'no' again. I wanted to, believe me. I just couldn't bring myself to do it.

Edward grinned with excitement as he plopped back down on the edge of the bed and pulled the guitar into his lap, strumming and tuning it once again. "What other songs can you sing?" he asked happily.

I chewed on my fingernails as I stood to face him. There was some older music that I figured he could possibly play his guitar to. "Um…do you know Blackbird by The Beatles?" I remembered it from a when my mom used to play her records all the time when I was little. She refused to get rid of her vinyl, and still had it to this day.

He smiled brightly and began strumming the first chords to the song, but when it got to the part where I was supposed to start singing, I froze. My body was trembling with nerves.

He played it again… and again I froze. My mouth opened to start, but I couldn't get the words to come out. I couldn't breathe or think or…speak. He stopped playing and reached out to grab my shaking hand, rubbing it gently.

"Breathe, baby."

I did as he said and took a deep breath, then let it out and nodded for him to continue, keeping my eyes focused on the print of his plaid shirt.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night…Take these broken wings and learn to fly…All your life…You were only waiting for this moment to arise."_

The words suddenly came out all on their own. I couldn't stop them if I wanted.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night… Take these sunken eyes and learn to see…All your life…You were only waiting for this moment to be free…Blackbird fly… Blackbird fly…Into the light of the dark black night."_

As Edward continued to strum, I looked up and our eyes locked. The room faded away around us, and it was just him and I. Suddenly, I couldn't care less what the hell I sounded like. The way he was looking at me, like he was watching something that fascinated him, pushed me to take a deep breath and continue, belting out the last few lyrics, as loud as I could possibly sing.

"_Blackbird singing in the dead of night…Take these broken wings and learn to fly! All your life! You were only waiting for this moment to arise…You were only waiting for this moment to arise….You were only waiting... for this moment… to arise."_

My body tingled with nerves and excitement as Edward's Cheshire grin awaited me. I had to admit, my voice didn't sound half bad when accompanied by Edward's masterful guitar playing.

Without warning, Edward started plucking into another Beatles song that I recognized instantly and so, without coaxing, I came in where I needed to.

"_Who knows… how long… I've loved you? __You know… I love…you still. Will…I wait…a lonely lifetime? __If you want…me to… I will."_

It was strange how I suddenly didn't even feel nervous anymore. The words just flowed on their own.

"_For if…I ever saw you… And I didn't catch…your name. But it never…really…mattered. I will always feel…the same._

_Love you forever…and forever. Love you with all my heart. Love you whenever, we're…together - Love you when we're apart._

_And when…at last…I find you, your song will fill the air. Sing it loud…so I can hear you._

_Make it easy to…be near you."_

As I loudly sang out the rest of the lyrics, I almost felt like crying because we sounded so fucking awesome together. Or at least I thought so. But maybe I was just intoxicated by the sound of his guitar and his sexy crooked smile as he played for me.

_For the things you do, endear you to me… Oh…you know…I will. __Oh…you know… I will._

_Oh…_

_You know…_

_I will._

My heart was hammering, my palms warm and sweaty. It was such a rush to do what I just did and I couldn't believe I'd actually done it. Edward set the guitar down on the floor and gently pulled me to stand between his legs. I didn't want to even talk about the music so I tried to change the subject.

"Um…I need to get going so I can… apartment hunt. Again."

"Move in with me," he said firmly.

Suddenly, I couldn't breathe.

* * *

**A/N:** Do you think she will move in with him? I know a lot of you are hoping for it, and some are not. Who of you will get what you want? Only I know. ;)

I will tell you that Irina will be back next chapter. Hope you'll come back. Thanks for reading!


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